MOSTLY AUTUMN: White Rainbow (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

When producing "Sight of Day", Brian Josh wanted an album that was a little more optimistic than his predecessor, the subject of "Dressed in Voice" being particularly gloomy. Since then, the death of Liam Davison, a long-time friend and pillar of the band for 18 years, has necessarily darkened the thoughts of the Mostly Autumn master of thought and this new album is entirely dedicated to the memory of the one who, although in Brian's shadow, was nevertheless an indispensable pawn in all their productions.

To say that "White Rainbow" is melancholic is a sweet euphemism, as the different compositions of this very long CD (78 minutes on the counter) evoke the memory of the deceased friend, both in the musical content and in the texts. The various beaches will invite the deceased to a Viking funeral ceremony, and the first four of them will exude all the sadness of those who remain.

After a solemn and muffled introduction by Troy Donockley's Uillean Pipes, a first epic allows Brian Josh to release part of his rage through strong riffs with, as if to better remember the deceased, the return to a device that guided the first three albums, namely the cover of a theme from the previous one, namely "Sight of Day". As for the long final guitar solo, delivered in a Pendrago-Floydian atmosphere against a back of majestic choirs, it will probably leave no one unmoved.

The rest of the album will see Olivia Sparnenn take the vocal reins after her man, for rather classical tracks alternating calm ballads magnified by the beautiful's voice ('Burn','Run for the Sun' or the moving 'Gone') and more progressive tracks including instrumental developments that raise the temperature: it is first of all "Western Skies" whose second very dynamic part is punctuated by timpani blows, then the grandiose "Up" and its memorable chorus, its luminous solos, all carried by Henry Rogers whose performance behind the drums finally eclipses what was until then the Achilles' heel of the group.

But all this is ultimately only an appetizer to better prepare for the arrival of the main course of the 19 minutes of'White Rainbow'. Divided into four parts, this track - the longest in the band's discography to date - offers a very floydian opening, "Dark Side of the Moon" period, with a song performed by Brian Josh. A one-minute interlude by Ian Jennings alone at the piano, allows us to follow on a stormy background tearing the sky towards a second part with disturbing contours, filled with heavy scents of the atmospheres dear to the Lord of the Rings. The guitars become more aggressive, the singing more hoarse, before Olivia Sparnenn takes over, at the same time as the pulsation accelerates and the beautiful one declines us a fabulous chorus once again, displaying all her range and power. The track then continues to grow in power by starting a Dantean saraband where rhythm guitar, keyboards and guitar solo are superimposed, supported by an effective rhythm section. And above all, this powerful symphony has just slammed this unstoppable chorus once again. What a beauty!

The last three minutes finally see a clear inflection, starting in acoustic-folk mode and proposing (finally) a line of optimism, reflected in a more joyful tone and ending with a new theme played on the guitar that will inevitably stick shivers on your back. On a similar scheme to the previous album, Mostly Autumn finally concludes with'Young', the ultimate peaceful dedication to the one who will have been so well honoured throughout this sublime cake.

Finally, a word about the second CD on the limited version of the album. As usual, Mostly Autumn offers tracks of good quality but a little less accomplished than those of the main album. However, note the splendid long version of'Gone', probably missing from the first CD due to lack of space, but also'Eternally Yours', a track from Liam Davison's solo album,'A Treasure of Well-Set Jewels', released in 2011.

Words are finally of little use to summarize this thirteenth studio album of Mostly Autumn, so much the emotion that prevailed during its production can be felt when listening to it. A brilliant tribute to a discreet musician, "White Rainbow" shines with a thousand lights. There is no doubt that from all the way up there his inspirer will see him shine.
- Official website

MOSTLY AUTUMN

WHITE RAINBOW

AUTRE LABEL

PROGRESSIVE ROCK