Mostly Autumn - Heart Full Of Sky

Year of Release: 2007
Label: Autumn Records Ltd
Catalog Number: AUT0933
Format: CD
Total Time: 68:56:00

When the first albums of our British friends got better distribution, their mix between prog and folk got more and more recognition so that their Pink Floyd meets Fleetwood Mac approach became a worldwide phenomenon. As the band grew bigger and bigger they stayed loyal to their trademarks, yet on this new album I find little of the elements that made them so unique in the first place. Bryan Josh still tries his best to become David Gilmour's shadow whilst Heather Findlay's voice can still be regarded as one of the most important female voices from the recent prog-revival. Yet due to several line-up changes, the band's output no longer sounds like the music we have christened "the patented Mostly Autumn sound" for so many years.

This doesn't mean that Heart Full Of Sky is a bad album; on the contrary, yet you have to get used to these eleven new compositions to fully embrace them as Mostly Autumn songs. Let's say that the general atmosphere is more rock oriented as opposed to the folk flavoured past. However there still are plenty of acoustic highlights to be found, to which several guest musicians add their respective skills. Especially the snorting Hammond organ as played by David "Munch" Moore during "Half A World" is an a absolute plus. In fact, this is the kind of song any radio can play around the clock. Sung by Bryan Josh "Pocket Watch" probably is the best example to illustrate the change in style as this is almost authentic Britpop. Also the fragile "Blue Light" sung by Heather introduces a different approach. It's the first input from newcomer Chris Johnson. No doubt this versatile musician is a great asset to the band, who not only get a superb musician but also an ace composer!

The very first time a real "jig" leaves your speakers is during "Walk With A Storm," which has Peter Knight's violin causing the musical storm. In "Find The Sun" Knight is back in action, delivering what sounds almost like a pure classical part that settles firmly in this intriguing song. After a couple of less interesting songs we get to the closing section of this album entitled "Dreaming," which once again deserves a "full guarantee or money back" stamp all over it. The intro gets quite close to the wondrous world of Led Zeppelin with Josh almost delivering a declamation instead of singing. A powerful melody settles nicely throughout the arrangement, so strong that it finally is left on its own. And thus ends the sixth Mostly Autumn studio album, which might not leave behind a smashing impression straight away, yet most certainly delivers a positive end result once you have been given the chance to listen to this album plenty of times. Even if the sound is indeed different to what we have been loving as Mostly Autumn music for some time now, it's pretty much thumbs up all the way.

Bearing in mind the current romance in Heather Findlay's life maybe this album should have been entitled "Heart Full Of Fish"? (will we have to call Heather a "Fishwife" soon?)

A limited 2CD set of this fine album has been available through the band's website only and is now fully OOP.

Tracklisting:
Fading Colours / Half A World / Pocket Watch / Blue Light / Walk With A Storm / Find The Sun / Ghost / Broken / Silver Glass / Further From Home / Dreaming

Musicians:
Heather Findlay - lead vocals, percussion, backing vocals
Bryan Josh - lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, lead vocals, drum programming, piano, bass
Chris Johnson - lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, drum programming, bass, glockenspiel
Liam Davison - slide guitars
Angela Gordon - flute, clarinet, recorders, backing vocals
Andy Smith - bass
Andrew Jennings - drums
Olivia Sparnenn - backing vocals

Discography:
For All We Shared... (1998)
The Spirit Of Autumn Past (1999)
The Last Bright Light (2001)
Music Inspired By The Lord Of The Rings (2002)
Heroes Never Die - The Anthology (2002)
Passengers (2003)
Catch The Spirit: Complete Anthology (2003)
Storms Over Still Water (2005)
Heart Full Of Sky (2007)
Glass Shadows (2008)

The Story So Far (DVD) (2002)
At The Grand Opera House (DVD) (2004)
The V Shows (DVD) (2004)
Pink Floyd Revisited (DVD) (2005)
Passengers (DVD) (2006)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK