Mostly Autumn - Passengers


Year of Release: 2003
Label: Classic Rock Legends Ltd
Catalog Number: CRL 1131
Format: CD
Total Time: 44:30:00

It is not easy for a band to release a new album. Mostly Autumn released five studio albums so far and not so long ago they released a compilation album, which showed the essence of the band, and now they have released their sixth studio album Passengers. And again the bar is set slightly higher. But the band has built up an excellent reputation of having lots of talent and song writing skills. The result is an album the band can be proud of.

Passengers has a mature sound, with the familiar Celtic influences present, but not in every song. I even detected a hint of country in "Bitterness Burnt." Opening track "Something In Between" is a catchy song, a bit in the vein of Fleetwood Mac. "Pure White Light," sung by Bryan Josh, opens with a heavy guitar riff and Damian Wilson on backing vocals. His guitar play has strong references to David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), this also evident in "Another Life," in a brilliant Floydian guitar solo. A gem on the album is "Simple Ways," a song you just have to hear! Plain beautiful, yet simple. "Distant Train" has a more electronic sound, with synths and great guitar work, but no vocals as it is an instrumental track. The Celtic influences come through guest musician Troy Donockley (Iona) on whistles. Passengers ends with "Pass The Clock," a song in three parts, with both Heather Findlay and Bryan Josh on vocals, accompanied by acoustic guitar and cello, another highlight on the album, which in the second part goes into second gear, but slows down just a bit in the last part.

Passengers is not an album you should read about, but you should listen to it. Mostly Autumn has succeeded in recording another fantastic album, which will only strengthen the reputation of the band. Although all members are very skilled musicians, in my opinion one of the strong points of the band are the two vocalists, Findlay and Josh, as they add to the variety on the album and together they sound magical. Now I am really curious which direction the next album will be, as the bar is again, set slightly higher.

[This review originally appeared September 2003 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Something In Between (3:52) / Pure White Light (4:33) / Another Life (4:36) / Bitterness Burnt (4:56) / Caught In A Fold (3:52) / Simple Ways (6:13) / First Thought (4:46) / Passengers (6:05) / Distant Train (4:50) / Answer The Question (5:01) / Pass The Clock Pt.1 (2:40) / Pass The Clock Pt.2 (5:49) / Pass The Clock Pt.3 (3:39)

Musicians:
Bryan Josh - lead vocals, lead guitars, 6/12 string acoustic guitars
Heather Findlay - lead and backing vocals, bodhran, tambourines
Iain Jennings - piano, Hammond organ, synthesisers, backing vocals
Angela Goldthorpe - flute, recorders, backing vocals
Liam Davison - electric and acoustic guitars, slide guitar
Andy Smith - bass guitar
Jonathan Blackmore - drums

Guest Musicians:

Troy Donockley - low whistles, penny whistles, Uilleann pipes, bazouki
Chris Leslie - violin
Marissa Claughan - cello
Damian Wilson - backing vocals
Mark Atkinson - backing vocals

Discography:
For All We Shared... (1998)
The Spirit Of Autumn Past (1999)
The Last Bright Light (2001)
The Story So Far... (2001)
Music Inspired By The Lord Of The Rings (2002)
Heroes Never Die - The Anthology (2002)
Fiddler's Shindig (Live Series So Far) (2003)
Live In The USA (Live Series So Far) (2003)
Live At The Canterbury Fayre (2003)
Passengers (2003)
Catch The Spirit: Complete Anthology (2003)
Pink Floyd Revisited (2004)
Live At The Grand Opera House (2004)
Storms Over Still Water (2005)
The V Shows (2005)
Storms Over London Town (2006)
Heart Full Of Sky (2007)
Glass Shadows (2008)
Live 2009 - Part I (2009)
Live 2009 - Part II (2009)
Pass The Clock (2009)
Go Well Diamond Heart (2010)
That Night In Leamington (2011)
Still Beautiful - Live 2011 (2011)
Live At High Voltage 2011 (2011)
The Ghost Moon Orchestra (2012)
Live At The Boerderij (2013)
Dressed In Voices (2014)
Box Of Tears (2015)
Mostly Autumn Acoustic - The Genesis Revisited Tour 2014 (2015)
Sight Of Day (2017)
White Rainbow (2019)

The Story So Far... (DVD) (2002)
The Next Chapter (DVD) (2003)
At The Grand Opera House (DVD) (2003)
The V Shows (DVD) (2004)
Pink Floyd Revisited (DVD) (2005)
The Fiddler's Shindig (DVD) (2005)
Passengers (DVD) (2006)
That Night In Leamington (DVD) (2010)
Live At The Boerderij (DVD) (2013)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: December 31st 2004
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.mostly-autumn.com
Hits: 2384
Language: english

  

[ Back to Reviews Index | Post Comment ]