I particularly enjoyed this UK artist’s previous album, the splendid “Favourite Places” which found residence in my heart, being a fan of original and personal prog-rock with a strong hint of the rural universe which a city dweller like me dreams about often (and yet sees enough of in my day job, thankfully). Brendan is an accomplished polyvalent musician, who can handle all the prog basics with apparent ease as well as singing. This new disc was premiered recently with a track on Lazland’s Progzilla show, just before my band’s new single, therefore in everlasting harmonious company. Just like with the preceding release, he is a fine storyteller as well, infusing the six songs with vivid imagery and aromatic sonic décor. As per my weekly routine, I listen to any new album in my SUV as I travel anywhere between 200 to 500 kms a day, in a rather loose, less concentrated initial audition in order to familiarize myself with the new sounds offered. In some cases, such as this one, distraction had interfered with the basic impression, and my first run through was mitigated, much to my chagrin. Upon getting home, I immediately organized a fully concentrated audition, which predictably offered the full pleasure experience I was seeking. The flow on “Stories from the Old Church Lane” is absolutely masterful, as each of the six tracks grow in intensity and delight, as Brendan takes us deeper into his world, culminating in the final three tracks being complete canvas hitting knockouts. My review therefore will be split into two sections of 3 pieces each, beginning with “Another Eveningtime”.
Soaring and plaintive electric guitar in a sea of symphonic mellotron strings will get me every single time, and when the Rickenbacker bass thunders into the vocal verse, the mood and story hold hands in suave complicity. The nearly 8-minute pace is bold and effusive, the guitar solo resounding in bluesy echo, the melancholic voice displays a hint of fatigue after a long and hard day toiling about in typical routine, highlighting the arrival of eventual rest (‘A beer beside the lake, the night is creeping fast”).
The morning sun comes out on “Olivia Ruth”, a shining ballad that maintains the slower tempo, where warm words and sentimental fretboard work cohabitate, the extension solo intense and hopeful. The lyrics tumble forth fluently (I presume a shop-owner is the object of the story), while the churning bass curls around the instrumental section, a supervising guide through the trees. Knick-knack sundries, clay pipes, candle wicks, toy car and tin robot are on the displays, Olivia Ruth is just fine in her ways. Lovely.
Festive moments are to be found on such a perfect day, where good cheer and genuine happiness rules on “Amelia’s Wedding”. A bouncy celebration of trust in love, the glittering synthesizer boldly carving the huge melody, where a soothing mellotron choir decorates the air, as the rice rains down on the guests, bells ringing in joyous rapture. As the impending kiss seals the moment for evermore, the stunning electric guitar launches into a dizzying salute to the glory of worship, the bubbly champagne flowing down the aisle, as the elated party heads into the garden reception, even though it’s a stormy day in May.
The second section of three tracks simply elevate even further the already intense enjoyment of this delicate and intricate album, with “Bram’s Return (from Metro Fair)” taking a distinctly more complex route, an arrangement where countrified acoustic guitar, ornate piano, unobtrusive percussion, that sweet rolling bass (a standout throughout the album) and a sedate introspective restraint that eschews haste. A groovy organ enters with a relaxed jazzy attitude, Brendan’s voice hushed and comforting, a sublime workout that suspends time and place, contemplation and appreciation guaranteed. There was a time when going to a record store was a favored pastime, escapism of the finest kind, intoxicated by the heady aroma of vinyl and cardboard.
Without any wavering, I will hereby proclaim that “Ned and Mary” is just plain gorgeous, proprietor of a magnificent melody, exuding a serene and emotional simplicity that needs no artifice or frill. The tingling instrumentation relies on velvety sounds, atmospheric sustenance (the haunting guitar shavings a step away from Steve Hackett in tone) and convincing delivery that introduces ‘the old church lane’. What a song!
Keeping the very best for last, the majestic heights of the thundering “Summer’s End” are reached with a bold arrangement that has CLASSIC stamped all over it, your choice of ink, wax or electronic signature. The intrepid instrumentation is off the charts exuberant, where symphonic mellotron orchestrations overpower the horizon, Brendan’s sorrowful voice ideally suited for the desperately melancholic style, the pummeling bass and drum rhythmics carrying the weight of a moment in time that are finally coming to an end. Strings fade this epic one into the mist of future adulation.
Check out Brendan Perkins, as this is a worthy artist that needs to be discovered by fans of good music. Love this immensely, surely among the very best of 2025.
5 Abbey roads
