The gifted multi-instrumentalist returns with a second solo album, on the heels of recent work with Z Machine as well as guesting on the third Enigmatic Sound Machines album, “Imperfect Silence”, where he was featured prominently on all tracks. Experimental Prog with a unique cachet is the specialty displayed here, a quirky, out of the box musical terminology that in turn, astounds and confounds, shaking off whatever ennui the unaware listener may be experiencing. His debut ‘Explode My Head’ was a monumental discovery , the subject matter this time will focus on the notion of flow, as water takes on a wide variety of shapes and sizes that truly define our planet. Drummer Eliseo Salverri mans the drum stool , with Rob doing pretty much everything else , save for a few guests on harp, violin, and glockenspiel . Hold on to your dinghy, kayak, canoe or raft , because this will be one hell of a sonic ride. Eight tracks with a total running time of 44 minutes. Here comes the flood!
Once again, the new-fangled tradition of launching the epic from the outset claims sovereignty over the listener, grabbing hold of the mindful ears immediately and never letting go. Tributaries has all the elements associated with sonic seduction, as Rob wastes little time in injecting a boisterous bass that rushes the senses, the guitars, flutes and keys aptly portray the various rivulets of life, the ebb and flow of hydrogen and oxygen in our midst. Eliseo bangs his kit with conviction, urging the electric guitar cascades to boldly plunge through all the obstacles that both nature and mankind wish to provide. Saxophone bursts, bass burps, vibraphone slurps, the intensity expanding into a torrent, the spirit of experimental mentality once (and still) championed by the legendary Gong is immediately apparent, mostly in the furious vocal exaltations, the cosmic deluge of all the intertwined instruments and savage guitar emulsions that would make Hillage beam with pride.
Six shorter fluvial pieces come next, as “Mariposa Falls” keeps the urgency in full tsunami mode, a relentless eddy of cresting waves of sound, that unforgiving bass steering the progressive speedboat, splashing with impunity as the madcap vocals convey a sense of insanity, turbo-charged rhythmic propellants in full gear, torpedoes in the water. The sax finale plays the role of the forlorn siren?.This ship has finally sailed into the wild blue yonder and shows no interest whatsoever in drifting quietly in the eye of any hurricane, “Bioluminescence” carrying its precious aural cargo, the masterful complexity of the multi-tracked saxophone manning the bridge, on full display. Intense, yet playful, pulsating and reflective, like a pool of mirrors shining off the rays of the mighty sun. Here, the overall tone is closer to ‘In the Wake of Poseidon’-era King Crimson, eventually searching for some distant ‘Islands’. The gale-force winds show little remorse on “Upstream”, as the navigational course has been set (probably using a vintage sextant like in the old days of Francis Drake), a well-swabbed deck on which Rob unleashes sone extensive effect laden riffs, using tons of glittering wah-wah water), while its companion piece, “Downstream” plays the role of the rewinding backwards principle. Clever Robert, clever! As long as no satanic messages are revealed! This way! No, that way! Which way, anyway? Leeward, wayward, who cares? Seriously playful. Speaking of which “Pools of Glass” has Captain Harrison steering the HMS Hatfield and heading most definitely North, a boisterous tempest of unbridled madness , with huge swaths of heavy guitar riffs colliding with fluttering flute of the port side, and massive saxophone whitecaps slamming into the starboard, holding on for dear life , in fear of being washed overboard. After the unrelenting chaos comes the lagoon-like stillness of “Azure Veins”, a gentler experimentation where the rhythmic paddle is clear and steady, the voice dreamy as if looking up to the maritime skies for direction, the Gong effect not that distant on the horizon, as the full-ahead command is given and the diesel engines kick in. A brilliant suite of maritime prog.
Naturally, the closer is also an epic voyage, presumably back to the shelter of a port, where rest and relaxation await, until the next journey is planned. Tired and grizzled, “Delirium” has the sax joyfully recounting all the adventures, contrasting sections that spin from calm to turbulent without any hint of worry. ‘A reckoning’ in a multitude of waves, sun-baked skin and salty lips, a swig of rum and the pipe dutifully filled.
Sail away on the good ship Harrison, it just might explode your head again.
4.5 vassal vessels