QUICKLY QUICKLY QUICKLY

Some of you may know this already about me: I love music that uses space and subtlety; I love the power that is conveyed through pause, sustain, minimal input. That is why I've been so attracted to groups like PG-era GENESIS, ANT PHILLIPS, DAVID SYLVIAN, BARK PSYCHOSIS, BJÃ?RK, KARDA ESTRA, AISLES, MAD CRAYON, NOSOSUND, BIG BIG TRAIN, BROTHER APE, FREQUENCY DRIFT and some of STEVEN WILSON's work, to name a few. Well, let me tell you, people: There is another kid on the block--an American group--that is knocking on the door, making a claim to be included in this group, and that band is THE TEA CLUB.

I only picked up on THE TEA CLUB in 2010 with Rabbit--which I loved and remains a regular on my playing rotations to this day. Now we have a 43-minute release of four songs under the title Quickly, Quickly, Quickly. (Check out the amazing album cover: It's like Japanese animator extraordinaire Hayao Miyazaki painted Carl Jung's favorite book, The Tibetan Book of the Dead!) This masterpiece of diverse prog music draws from many, many that have gone before yet is synthesized into a sound all their own. One area that this mature group has especially mastered is the ability to convey their message with their music--by this I mean, the moods that their instrumental compositions set forth seem to always fit perfectly with the lyrical message they are trying to convey. This is a rare and special talent.

1. "Firebears" (17:52) has an awesomely dynamic and original intro with great drumming and bass supporting cool guitar and keyboard interplay to introduce the song's main themes. At the two minute mark begins the vocal section of the song. The first vocal section has a very XTC Skylarking-era feel and sound to it--especially the harmonies, pacing, and guitars. A STYLE COUNCIL-like organ play helps bridge to the "If you can't sleep at night?" speaking part. The next vocal section has quite the WHO/TOBY DRIVER/STYX combination feel to it. (You have to hear it to understand what I mean.) At 6:40 everything quiets down for an absolutely gorgeous, dreamy, four minute NEKTAR/MARC ALMOND/ MAUDLIN OF THE WELL-like section. The vocal dexterities on this song are amazing! GEORGE WINSTON-like piano play brings us out of this delicate section, helped by guitar, a great bass line, and sensitive drum play. At 13:35 a strumming electric guitar starts the emergence into a reprise of the first XTC-like section--this time with some awesomely powerful, emotional vocals, keyboards and beautiful chord and key changes. The wordlessly intoned vocal passages are especially catchy and emotive. Great work on the batterie throughout! An incredible journey--a wonderful song that reminds me of the epics on one of my all- time favorite albums, BIG BIG TRAIN's The Difference Machine except with all the idiosyn- chronous things belonging exclusively to The Tea Club. A prog epic for the ages! (10/10)

2. "The Eternal German Infant" (8:11) begins with a great OCEANSIZE-like intro--great drum sounds (I love how TEA CLUB record their drums--especially their cymbols). The ensuing vocals are more like what I'm used to hearing from THE TEA CLUB. Raw bass--very early prog sounding. 2:00 slow down with vocal "meows" and ROBERT FRIPP guitar (which then turns to STEVE HOWE) sounding. At 2:40, as vocal continues to recite his alphabet associations, the music starts with quiet background then builds, first with glockenspiel-like instrument, then the full band rejoins, gradually adding layer upon layer of background voocals (hi and lo). At the 3:50 mark, (after a cool single fast piano arpeggio) the song starts into a more OCEANSIZE-like bass, guitar and drum pounding, building. Then, at 4:40 a solo synth "flute" sound carries the song forward into a delicate GENESIS Trespass-like pastoral section. Again, it builds with layer upon layer and increasingly complex, frenetic drumming, keyboard support and vocal arrangements. Guitar & keyboard soli start at 7:30, leading into frenzied kind of classical (Beethoven?) chord progression to close. Great song. (8/10)

3. "Mister Freeze" (6:49) opens with a bare electric bass followed by a plaintive wail from a sustained electric guitar--not unlike that from THE MARS VOLTA's "Televators". The vocal that follows sounds to me almost like a sedated IAN ANDERSON or CAT STEVENS--or even PHIL COLLINS on "Ripples." I love the spaciousness of the instrumentation throughout these first three minutes. Love the 'surprise' chord change at 1:30. Bass, Acoustic & electric guitars and synths, and now b vox. At 2:55 enters kind of KING CRIMSON/TONY LEVIN rhythm. At 3:38 a spooky synth ushers in a very intimate, softened, pastoral acoustic section similar to very early GENESIS/ANT PHILLIPS. The volume-controlled electric guitar in background is wonderful. Beginning at the 4:46 mark is a delicate "scat" vocal similar to PETER GABRIEL's in "Mother of Violence"--and organ joins in! At 5:24 arrives an awesome multi-layered vocal harmony "your labor that filled my mind, body, soul" section. Cool organ! Nice bass, too. This section plays out to the end. Awesome song with a very Trespass/HARMONIUM sound, yet with a mature sensitivity and feel to it. Tons of subtleties making this one of those songs that you hear differently each and every time you hear it. (10/10)

4. "I Shall Consume Everything" (9:26) begins with a couple of strangely odd guitar chords being played rapid arpeggio. The harmonized vocals at 1:10 sound like FLEET FOXES. Then, at 1:30, there is a lull of guitar arpeggios and tremolos. Just before the two minute mark we are teased with a very brief dynamic shift before everything calms down again and harp(?) arpeggios carry us forward. At 3:00 the song climbs fully into realm of electric "rock". The lead vocal surprises me by staying in a low register. It's very effective! The vocal builds in emotional intensity until a scream opens up into a brief guitar solo. This is soon followed by a very powerful "More, give me, more, give me" vocal/music section. I love the crazy- lunatic-sounding "circus carousel" instrument sounding in background, as well as the haunting repetitive bass and electric guitar lines. The feel gets creepier and weirder crossing the six minute mark before electric guitar chords and drums usher in the powerful "only some will live forever" vocal section. The last two minutes of the song repeat this dirge with increasing strength and dynamic effects. Nice FRIPP-like solo beginning from the eight minute mark. The last thirty seconds sound as if the human machine is fading, failing, losing strength. This one I get without having to try very hard. I find it amazing how the group's vocals, bass, guitar parts, frenetic drumming and keys parts all convey so masterfully the tense lunatic-crazy feeling of our culture as we frenetically, freakishly follow our addictions like slaves. It's as if the eery, ludicrousness of our rampant rush to self-destruction is constantly conveyed by at least one instrument throughout--guitar, bass, 'circus carousel' keyboard sound, drumming, and, of course, the diverse vocals, solo and harmonized. What a sad world we've created--and how brilliantly THE TEA CLUB have captured it in their art. (10/10)

Mega kudos, Dan and gang. Mega Kudos, Tea Club! With Quickly, Quickly, Quickly, you have not only proven yourself, you have risen to the top of the heap.

"More, give me more, give me more, give me more"!

2012 is (finally) starting to look like another great year. Could it equal or surpass The Year Of Prog, 2011? We shall see. There are still three months left. Right now my top albums of the year would be the year's contributions from Big Big Train, The Tea Club, Kotebel, Battlestations, Anglagard, Anathema, Thinking Plague, Distorted Harmony, Astra, Echolyn, Greylevel, Dean Watson, Sylvan, RPWL, The Flower Kings, Magma, and Crippled Black Phoenix, in that order.