US band PROUD PEASANT was formed back in 2001, and so far they have one album and two single releases to their name. “Cosmic Sound” is the most recent of the latter, and is set for an April 2016 release on vinyl through UK specialist psychedelic rock label Fruits de Mer Records.
The greater majority of productions released bu Fruits de Mer Records consist of cover material in part or in whole, and the latter is the case for this label debut by Proud Peasant. They have opted to go for two progressive rock classics on this occasion: Daybreak (Eloy) and Saturn, Lord of the Ring / Mercury, the Winged Messenger (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band).
Eloy’s classic 1973 single is given a rough 70’s hard rock makeover in this case, with galloping bass and guitar riffs not light years away from the core Hawkwind bass and guitar sound from the early 70’s, with calmer, mellow interludes where the keyboards and, unless I’m much mistaken, the violin combines to craft flightier arrangements of a kind and manner that should tickle most classic era progressive rock fans the right way.
The band’s take on Manfred Mann’s classic is more of a quirky one, with ethereal passages and interludes separating firmer sequences, of which a bass-pumping blues based hard rock section in the opening half and a gritter dark riff based galloping sequence more or less of the same general nature as explored on the Eloy track in the second half of this track are the most prominent. The manner in which guitars, keyboards and violin combine here also gives this song something of a Kansas vibe here and there, and for many I suspect this aspect of Proud Peasant’s take on this song is the one that will stick best to memory on initial inspections.
Proud Peasant deserves credit for taking on this classic pair of progressive rock songs and transforming them into material that sounds cohesive, despite the originals not being all that similar to begin with. The end result is two compelling songs, perhaps with a bit too much of an early 70’s hard rock vibe for some, but for me at least this aspect of the material elevated these songs as a total experience, with the vibrant, energetic take on Eloy’s Daybreak as the standout track on a high quality single.
My rating: 90/100
