Presto Ballet - The Lost Art Of Time Travel


Year of Release: 2008
Label: Body Of Work Recordings
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 60:25:00

Presto Ballet's sophomore release has been in and out of my players (yes, plural) for? well, for well near a year now, if I recall, as I've been listening to it since I bought it at CalProg 2008. Now the review finally materializes.

All the symphonic elements that characterized the debut ? the 70s feel ? are well in place here on The Lost Art Of Time Travel, which isn't so lost if it can transport you to a time when bands like Styx, Rush, Yes, etc. were stadium/arena giants. What strikes me immediately is the depth the production reveals ? clearly heard is everything -- the throbbing bass, the crashing drums, the chiming guitars, the blanket of keys, and sparkling vocals. All seem perfectly balanced, and in contrast to each other, are perfectly balanced. That is, good mix and good performance. In fact, the first track comes charging out of the gate with vim and vigor, with confident energy. "Yeh, this is how we sound, what about it?" it asks.

That sound? Well to my ears, it's mostly Yes. But I'd say Yes on steroids ? those steroids being legal doses of Styx, Kansas, ELP and Rush. But, if you want a contemporary comparison ? not these bands aren't as they're all still around (even it's E over here, L over there and P here and there but elsewhere) ? it'd be to Glass Hammer. Both are re-enactors of classic epic symphonic prog, drawing enough of their own inspired inspiration for them to not be one step removed from a tribute band. That is, the brew that Presto Ballet mix up includes enough fresh notions that this doesn't seem like a tired retread. At times, too, as on the opener "The Mind Machine," its happy keyboards remind me of Marillion, and specifically the upbeat keyboards of a "Garden Party." That is to say, this piece is festive. And at 10 minutes it's exhausting (not overlong, but full of high energy). There is a similarity in theme ? lyrically (at least on the surface) to ELP's "Karnevil 9," and ? interestingly enough, though I didn't plan it this way, it takes a similar cynical tack as Solstice Coil's A Prescription For Paper Cuts (which I reviewed immediately prior to this). It's not quite as angry as ELP (or SC, for that matter), but sure, it reads of "relax, you're good hands" punctuated with maniacal laughter (although the latter doesn't occur; and that's not a direct lyric). Anyway, it's widdily, symphonic, epic, punchy, hummable and all the things we love about rock, with a proggy approach.

And basically, even though each track is distinct, you can use these adjectives for just about every track. So, if you keep in mind all the ingredients, we can just make some additional comments on the album's 7 tracks (none of which are short). The mysterious- come-bouncy "Thieves" throbs and marches its way into your ears; once there it takes off, rebounding off the cavernous space of your skull, tickling your dendrites with the epic cacophony, sending signals that seduce your neurons with silky sweet harmony vocals. Oh, it smoothly goes from small to big to small to big again, expanding and retreating like some breathing entity. If you want to know, it's what would happen in ELP and Yes collided (I think we called that YELP once somewhere here), with Rush squished in the middle. Its powerful, keyboard heavy, boomy with bass.

Just in case 2 epics aren't enough, this album bosts 4 of them, as we get another in "One Tragedy At Time." All the familiar parts are here, but we also get a bit of atmospheric keyboards that swirl about like fog rolling in. Scott Albright's measured delivery is just perfect, giving this section a sense of timelessness (that is, time has stopped and we're floating in some netherworld). Pink Floyd comes to mind, circa Dark Side?.

There are two tracks that aren't quite as epic. "I'm Not Blind" begins as a gentle guitar/vocal ballad, where Albright sounds a bit like Geddy Lee. But just over minute later, we get buzzing guitars, pounding drums and the heavy breathing of keys ? it hits you like a rush of Rush to the head [Really? You went there with this? ? ed.]. Given the rest of the material, this seems a bit too ordinary. Not that it's bad, but it is so outshined by the rest, that it comes across as? a bit too much by rote. It's more rocker than prog rocker, despite it's Rushian inflection. And then we're rocked again with "Easy Tomorrow" which features some beautifully tinkling piano. Like "I'm Not Blind," this pushes some the overt prog elements to back and ups the AOR-rock elements, the repeated title become the chorus that slides and glides easily.

"You're Alive" is an exception to the epic epicness. Acoustic guitars strum behind Scott Albright's vocals. Yeh, it does have a bit of hippie, folky, peace and love feel. Having backing vocals cheerfully singing "do do do do" (or more "dit dit dit" I guess (a la Yes)) and the swell of keyboards all add to this positive-outlook piece. The most cynical will find it just a little too ? light. But I?m happy to say that isn't overly fluffy or too precious as I find a lot of thematically upbeat (and lets say faith-based) music can be. The message of now being the time to "to start your hopeful creation / This is a time to believe / This is a time to make the most of every second, saving every priceless memory?" really is a timeless and apt message. Who knows when it could all go away - whether locally or globally. ("Sha la la la live for today" sang The Grass Roots in 1967).

Album closer "Haze" has a hazy feel to it ? owing to the keyboards, muted, yet still chiming guitars, and the harmonized vocals. Actually, there's a hint of the Beatles to this during the verses; Yes returns for the sub-mid-tempo chorus. It's a song that, live, in an arena, would demand the audience would a) sway back and forth in unison and b) thrust lighters aflame to the sky (how could they not with a lyric that entreats "Trip the light, trip the light, trip the light"? The guitar parts here, actually, recall more Genesis's darker passages more than Yes. The atmosphere to this piece has a "recorded live outdoors" feel; that the sound is floating up off the stage and into a night sky of twinkling stars and a bright shining moon. This piece also includes a brief piano/voice interlude; and while I wouldn't take bets on it, I think band leader/guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof is singing lead on this track as it doesn't quite sound like Albright.

Other than Vanderhoof and Albright, the line up is brand spanking new (and after this album's release, but before their CP performance, keyboardist Ryan McPherson exited). Which isn't to say the last line up doesn't compare, just that we've got new folks to listen to. And I have to tell you I love it! Oh, okay, yeh, it's looking backwards. But even still, it also feels fresh. Maybe it's the verve, maybe it's the earnestness, I don't know. But this is a killer prog-AOR (or AOR-prog) album. As I said in my CalProg review, had this band been at full strength (McPherson's keyboards were supplied by laptop), they would have killed; as it was they maimed pretty well. 2008 is long gone, but this would have been high on my top ten for sure. Fabulous.


Tracklisting:
The Mind Machine (10:50) / Thieves (9:04) / You're Alive (4:24) / One Tragedy At A Time (14:00) / I'm Not Blind (6:16) / Easy Tomorrow (6:30) / Haze (9:28)

Musicians:
Scott Albright - vocals
Kurt Vanderhoof - guitars, synthesizers, mellotron, bass pedals
Bill Raymond - drums
Ryan McPherson - Hammond organ, piano, synthesizers, RMI, mellotron, backing vocals
Israel Rehaume - bass

Discography:
Peace Among The Ruins (2005)
The Lost Art Of Time Travel (2008)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: August 31st 2009
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.prestoballet.com
Hits: 4724
Language: english

  

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