The highly touted and critically acclaimed British guitarist is carving out one hell of a name for himself among the Prog cognoscenti, pushing out yearly albums since 2021, chock full of glistening genius. Fletcher is a dazzling technician that conveys a discreet temperament, particularly comfortable in skirting the boundaries of prog, jazz and rock with a lively professionalism, which explains why his low-key temperament is winning him fans at a breakneck pace. Critics have also anointed him with justified praise as well as fellow musicians such as Steve Hackett who has stated for the record that he may be among the finest guitarist alive today. His previous three recordings (Quadrivium, A Longing from Home, and the Mask of Sanity ) were to be found on many favourite playlists, including glowing reviews from yours truly. The cover art once again indicates the well-travelled road the listener is about to undertake. Nick Fletcher may be a dazzling soloist, but he is an unmistakable team player, giving a wide berth to the fellow artists garnishing his compositions. Italian drummer Roberto Porta replaces Annika Nilles (busy rushing with Rush), while Johnathan Ihlenfeld Cuniado returns for bass duties.
The obligatory mood setting piece is an acoustic, rain-drenched exercise that rekindles impressionistic pastoral scenes reminiscent of Gordon Giltrap or Anthony Phillips, a fine British tradition that must be maintained and preserved at all costs. From that milestone forward, the sheer mettle of what is proposed will surely knock a few jaws sideways, as best displayed by the absurdly tasty “To Be Seen, To Be Heard”, where special guest keyboardist Tomasz Bura does an homage to Barry Miles, Jan Hammer or Alan Zavod on the synthesizers. The rhythm section can master the art of contrast by switching from serenity to eccentricity, endless shifting gears to match the overall RPMs necessary for the jazzy glide, giving Nick the ideal platform to scour the loftiest peaks with seemingly breathtaking ease. The vertiginous control rests very much in the Holdsworthian canon, intensely precise and utterly devastating.
The jazzy torch-lit parade remains bright as day on “Light of Becoming” , the undulating parallels between each instrument verges on insanity, yet sounding as if a child could pull off. Johnathan solo spot on the bass is far from puerile, a bubbling geyser of molten licks, the Bura keyboards enjoying the alliance to the fullest, while Porta ruffles feathers in the background. Nick stands aside respectfully, until his guitar synth gets a complete workout, elevating the arrangement into absurd levels of sophistication (yes, kids, we are very far from the Ramones).
The title track introduces the impeccable vocalizations of guest Olga Karpova (Dikajee) , a progressive highlight I have become particularly enamored with, where wordless singing can evoke the deepest emotions . It also gives the pieces a timeless and sunshiny feel, very retro in fact, as this was common practice in many 60-70s soundtracks. Interestingly, it’s the bass guitar that provides the foundational melodic line as well as some technical wizardry that rewards the listener with unexpected glee, the mouth surely agape.
Things get heated and hostile on the volcanic “Unravelling of Illusions”, a blistering procession of Mach 2 delivered turbo fusion, hissing and primal rhythmic alternations abound, colliding with searing liquid guitar forays, often at breakneck velocity, the tight crew right behind in full pursuit. We are in Return to Forever /Mahavishnu territory in terms of complexity, primal exertions of tortured expressions, volatile and delirious. A total kick in the butt, a complete untangling of said deceptions, and a masterful example of vociferous jazz-rock perfection. Caroline Bonnett on keyboards and Fletcher on bass are most assuredly spotlight attractions, worthy of applause.
Another patented prog sandwich job that closes out the album, a somewhat popular new wrinkle that has found favour with prog musicians as the two-part spectral ambiance “Only Now in Dreams” suite, is stuffed with two tracks that encompass ten minutes of sparkling sounds. The ham comes in the form of “The Path of Fire”, a rather haunting theme supplemented by a savage drum attack, Porta killing it with wicked abandon, the undulating synths screaming out in despair, forging a mulish route into the burning bush. The guitar arpeggios are divinely gifted, the crazed strings in full effervescence, conjuring fiery images of infernal attraction, a sputtering heartbeat that can barely compete. I am burning for you. The proverbial cheese is the teasing “the Abscission Zone”, a sharp slice of musical humor, a much-needed commodity in today’s ever bleak outlook (no, not the email provider!), as its definitely chopzilla, cool razor-sharp notes that have meaning and yet are challenging to play. Bonnet colours the incisive arrangement with all kinds of sonic backdrops, while Porta demolishes his kit, as if incarnating Keith Moon. “Only Now in Dreams part 2” is the ‘Angel vibe guitar mentioned in the liner notes, a delicate filagree of lattice, velvet and satin that arranges the pillow, pulls the blanket gently, and turns off the light, as a gentle rain washes away the tears of joy.
5 blooming wonders