Luminos - Seize The Day

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Market Square Records
Catalog Number: MSMCD115
Format: CD
Total Time: 47:35:00

If you ever find this CD in your local record store, chances are you will take it from the progressive rock section (if ever they have one!) and place it in the dance section, as the sleeve really has not the slightest link to glorious prog. Musically, the first couple of tracks are not a giveaway either, but as the album progresses so does the music. Also, the label could be a bit of a clue, being Market Square Music. In the end, I think an accurate description of Luminos' music has to be a cross between Jadis and Mr. So & So. As the band has two vocalists, one male and one female, of course references tend to come and go with the timbre of their voices. Neville Dean sometimes comes in the area of Gary Chandler, whilst Anni Meehan gets close to Druid's Dane Stevens in the higher regions, bringing along some authentic seventies resemblances on occasion.

From a rhythmic point of view, we have to place Luminos under the neo-prog label as most of the songs are straightforwarded rock with a slight prog tendency. Take "If Only For A While" as prime example of the latter. However this approach most certainly means the band gets offered more opportunities to gig because their music is more mainstream, more accessible, and thus ideal to reach a wider audience. By mixing acoustic and subtle electric guitars a song like "It's Your Turn To Fly" gets a certain medieval charm to it before Anni Meehan takes the song into a different direction, slightly evoking Fruupp's "Gormenghast" whilst Neville Dean sounds a little like Elvis Costello here. Flute and distorted guitar also embrace the psychedelic feel combined with folk, turning this song towards the free spirit sixties. It is during "The Voyage" that I hear vocal resemblances with the more underground band Druid. Backed by a rather laidback backing track it's the unpredicted jazzy saxophone which shortly introduces some Soft Machine magic flirting with "Welcome To The Machine" era Pink Floyd.

I'm convinced that "prog" to the members of Luminos does not necessary mean copying the licks and riffs from the seventies as "Living On The Edge Of Time" even includes some genuine reggae riffs before evolving into a wild rocking anthem. With "Angel" the band harks back to the folky sixties, reminiscing on the originality of the Mamas & Papas. But the real pearl in the Luminos oyster comes at the very end by means of the superb "Always In My Heart." Although I don't see a string section mentioned in the liner notes I clearly hear violins and cello, which really becomes the heart of the song, a song with clear psychedelic roots. It's the kind of song that would benefit so much from a real, huge orchestra, which could make this song build and build with every chorus in order to end as an absolute masterpiece. As it is, it becomes a small masterpiece, but impressive enough to make us more and more curious about this band as the second part of their album Seize The Day (or the English for Carpe Diem) sounds rather different and intriguing than the more direct songs in the beginning.

Tracklisting:
Inner Self (6:44) / A Small Boy, A Bird In History (4:10) / Echoes In A Lonely City (3:58) / If Only For A While (5:33) / It's Your Turn To Fly (7:22) / The Voyage (Ocean Freedom) (6:07) / Living On The Edge Of Time (4:47) / Angel (3:51) / Always In My Heart (4:49)

Musicians:
Neville Dean - vocals, electric guitars, 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars, keyboards
Anni Meehan - vocals
Lee Williams - electric guitars
William Sargintson - drums

Guests :

Andy Brush - saxophone
Jenny Burns - flute
Graham Lions - drums

Discography:
Seize The Day (2003)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: April 4th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

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Language: english