TIME SILENT RADIO II

For fairly obvious reasons, the first two paragraphs of this review are the same as for another Echolyn release, but it does change from there on, honest! In March 2025 Echolyn released (or releases, depending when you read this) two new albums on the same day, this one, and the companion album, 'Time Silent Radio vii'. This contains just two long tracks while the other contains seven shorter ones, and the band have also made available artwork which combines both releases so if one wishes to keep them listed as one double album then it is easy to do so. I first came across Echolyn many years ago when they released their third album, 'As The World' in 1995. This was their first (and last) release to a major label as they were signed to Sony for a period, but after more than 250 live shows, three full length albums and one EP the band broke up.

The band have reformed and gone on hiatus a few times since then, but the first reformation in 2000 saw founders Brett Kull, Christopher Buzby and Ray Weston get back together, this time with drummers Jordan Perlson and Paul Ramsey. There have been five albums since 2000, with slight changes in line-up, but Brett, Chris and Ray have been the constants and now they are back with their first releases since 2015's 'I Heard You Were Listening', since when there has been another line-up change with Brett Kull (guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals), Ray Weston (lead vocals, bass, backing vocals), Chris Buzby (keyboards, backing vocals) welcoming back Jordan Perlson (drums & percussion, backing vocals).

The two songs are "Time Has No Place" (16:37), which is broken into four parts, and "Water in Our Hands, Pts. 1-4" (28:51). Playing this album straight after the other one it is interesting to see the similarities and also the differences, as the pop mentalities are again prevalent (The Beatles being an obvious influence), but there is also the impression that the guys are more relaxed. There is a famous quote from Blaise Pascal (often wrongly attributed to Twain and others), "I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter." Here they have been able to expand on ideas which would have necessarily needed to be curtailed if they were going to reduce the length, but at the same time they have not extended songs needlessly. There are plenty of bands out there who could do with some judicious editing on some of their releases, The Flower Kings spring to mind, yet here there is a relevance and continuity which takes the listener along for the journey.

All the styles we hear on 'Time Silent Radio vii' are again present but somehow are just "more". It makes it very difficult indeed to pick a favourite of the two as they are so close yet also separate, and I can certainly understand why the band made the sensible decision to make them available as separate albums as opposed to one lengthy one. Personally, whichever of the two I am listening to is my favourite, with its combination of wonderful musicianship, vocals and melodies, so currently it is this one but at the back of my head is the niggle that I really enjoyed the other one as well. The only solution for progheads is to investigate both: you will not be disappointed.

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