Echolyn - The End Is Beautiful

Year of Release: 2005
Label: Velveteen Records
Catalog Number: VR2010
Format: CD
Total Time: 55:50:00

To fully comprehend the artistic differences that arise between Mei, the last Echolyn masterpiece, and the newly released The End Is Beautiful, you have to look no further than the booklet itself, in the guest section. This time Brett Kull and the other members of the band are accompanied by a lot of brass instruments, while on Mei there was a clear prominence of string instruments, like the cello or the violin. It's clear that this move conveys a more dynamic feel and rhythm to the tracks, in spite of the melancholic atmospheres of the past work. Moreover the return of original bass player Tom Hyatt seems to turn back the clock to the magic and jazzy melodies of As The World, the famous record supported by Sony Music that can be seen as a turning point (in both a positive and negative way) of the band's history. Still we can say that the music changes but the talent of the American musicians remains intact, as every track of the album looks good. It is so for the explosive "Georgia Pine" and for "Heavy Blue Miles" as well. A quick resurgence of the dramatic passages of Mei can be heard on "Lovesick Morning," but then it's back to rhythm with the polyhedric and funky "So Ready," which is maybe the pinnacle of the entire record. And while I personally consider The End Is Beautiful like a tiny step back in terms of quality, the album still confirms Echolyn as unparalleled cult prog masters.

Tracklisting:
Georgia Pines (5:49) / Heavy Blue Miles (6:48) / Lovesick Morning (10:12) / Make Me Sway (5:22) / The End Is Beautiful (7:45) / So Ready (5:01) / The Arc of Descent (5:46) / Misery, Not Memory (9:03)

Musicians:
Christopher Buzby - keyboards, vocals, percussion, samples
Ray Weston - vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, noise bits, samples
Tom Hyatt - bass, vocals, percussion, noise bits, electric & acoustic guitar
Paul Ramsey - drums, percussion, vocals
Brett Kull - guitars, vocals, loops, noise bits, lapsteel, baritone guitar

Discography:
Echolyn (1991)
Suffocating The Bloom (1992)
...And Every Blossom (1993)
As The World (1995)
When The Sweet Turns Sour (1996)
Cowboy Poems Free (2000/2008*)
ProgFest '94: The Official Bootleg (2002)
mei (2002)
A Little Nonesense: Now And Then (2002)
Official Live Bootleg: Jersey Tomato (2003)
As The World (expanded reissue) (2005)
The End Is Beautiful (2005)
Echolyn (**) (2012)
I Heard You Listening (2015)
Home Brew Bootleg Stew 1994-95 (VHS) (1995, oop)
Stars And Gardens Vol 4. (DVD) (2004)

*remastered **not the same album as the debut

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: October 15th 2005
Reviewer: Igor Italiani

Artist website: www.echolyn.com
Hits: 2823
Language: english