Moth Vellum - Moth Vellum


Year of Release: 2008
Label: My Sonic Temple / Moth Vellum
Catalog Number: MST0702
Format: CD
Total Time: 57:55:00

Who would look for the most gloriously retro progressive rock sound in oh so hip and modern San Francisco? Not me, but that's just where we find Moth Vellum. Seeing as how progressive rock is so decidedly un-revolutionary and how it takes a large bit of its core inspiration from dead white males, it's really remarkable that the band hasn't been run out of town by now. Seriously though, growing up near San Francisco, I always found the city to be an inexhaustible source of great music and home to scores of prog rock fans, but it was never a source of prog rock. Yes, that is a long and self indulgent way of saying that I am surprised (and delighted) to have found out about Moth Vellum and the excellent self titled debut album they have produced.

Like the best works of classic symphonic prog, Moth Vellum's music seems to have somehow just sprung fully formed, like Athena from the forehead of Zeus. They have managed to produce six tunes - one nearly ten minutes and three that are over eleven minutes - that feel like they arose organic and complete, each an epiphany. Very reminiscent of mid period Yes, Moth Vellum presents a wonderful set of contemplative yet still propulsive and powerful works full of lush, fat synthesizers, melodic guitar lines and clear, high vocal harmonies. They are the masters of long melodic passages, presenting beautiful themes which are often reprised after some quite subtle but compelling variations. This quartet is made up of clearly accomplished players but there is nary a hint of showing off and there is certainly not a note of filler anywhere.

"Let The Race Begin" is calm and lovely from beginning to end, its fine guitar work reminding one at times of Steve Howe's solo in Going For The One's "Awaken." "Whalehead" follows with slippery synth lines and Yes-like harmonies in its center section. "Salvo," with its stabbing chords and off kilter tempo, provides an exciting change of pace before the magnificent "Against The Suns." "Salvo" also boasts an very nice set of variations that break in on its main theme again and again and these passages provide ample room for the band members to display their fine instrumental abilities. The opening rain of harmonics makes "Walk It Off" seem to float for a moment before its pedestrian pace appropriately begins and the disc ends with a reprise of "Against The Suns."

Moth Vellum creates classic English style retro symphonic progressive rock that is deceptively simple at first listen, but like the best of vintage prog, this disc grows on you and with each listen this well crafted music seems less and less "simple." Moth Vellum's debut is wonderfully self confident and the band writes and plays as if they had been together for decades. Another release will be needed to discover if Moth Vellum is as sure of their direction as this album seems to indicate, but absent that, for now I will simply have to consider this disc one of the very best in recent years. This is one of those albums you can happily play over and over again with no fear of it growing old.

Moth Vellum is a disc that you really do need to have in your collection and a disc that also gets my highest rating.


Tracklisting:
Let The Race Begin (9:13) / Whalehead (7:12) / Salvo (13:34) / Against The Suns (11:22) / Walk It Off (11:23) / Against The Suns (Reprise) (5:11)

Musicians:
Tom Lynham - keyboards, percussion
Matt Swindle - drums, lead vocals
Johannes Luley - guitars, background vocals
Ryan Downe - bass, lead vocals

Discography:
Moth Vellum (2008)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: January 30th 2010
Reviewer: Tom Karr
Score:
Artist website: www.mothvellum.com
Hits: 3439
Language: english

  

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