Australian artist John Greenwood sterling solo album Dark Blue (bit.ly/ johngreenwoodprog) was produced by his bandmate Sean Timms. With a largely orchestral palette and a theatrical sweep, this rich, earnest, beautifully made prog record considers the evils and sadnesses of the modern world, the thoughtful lyrics underpinned by maturely sensational guitar playing and musicianship throughout. Steve Hackett has supplied a favourable foreword for Dark Blue, is best known in these parts as the lead guitarist for Unitopia, and his and rightly so – it’s a wonderful surprise, and Greenwood deserves broader attention for it.
Another group meriting a wider audience in the Northern hemisphere is Chile’s Tryo. Over their 35 years together they’ve opened for the likes of Yes, Adrian Belew and Focus, and their powerful new concept album, Suramérica (Myolodon), shows what a tight unit they really are. Theirs is a nuanced, highly listenable combination of jazz fusion lines and harmony infused melodies, and the atmospheric, pure prog soundscape they create is at once exotic and familiar. Strong stuff.
Dave Gilmour-esque lead guitars, Tony Banks-y Mellotrons, and spirited male/ female harmonies are just some of the ingredients in the nostalgic, dramatic world of Mourning Knight. The Westchester, NY proggers leave no trope unexplored on their second, self-released album – A World Of Dreams opens with 17-minute opus A Fractured Fairytale and closes with 14-minuter The Harlequin’s Carnival. It may be proudly derivative but there’s definitely heart and soul here, with plenty for neo fans to enjoy.
Based in the Wirral, Spirergy is the brainchild of Welsh composer/ instrumentalist Dave Allen, and numerous proggy influences – Steve Hillage, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Jon Anderson come to mind – on their self-released Aeon. Allen’s voice is fragile but clear and pleasant, his guitar and synth game is strong, and the melodic ideas on Chasing Your Mind, Forever and sprawling 12-minuter Ice Winds more than make up for the album’s modest production budget.