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PILGRIMAGE
Tracklist: Circus of the Absurd (7.57);
Ghosts of Years (6.01); Believe Me Now (4.52); Building a Perfect Universe Pt 1 (4.45); Building a Perfect Universe Pt 2 (5.03); Song of the Albatross (7.02); Black Sun (7.14)
Bonus Tracks:
Reborn (Live) (6.21); Circus (edit) (5.44)
Pilgrym hail from the north of England and although the main players in the band have been making music for many years, the band itself is a young one coming into a being as a result of a chance meeting between Andy
Wells and Tony Drake in a Bradford music store.
The full lineup is Andy Wells (vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards), Tony Drake (vocals and guitars), Oliver Drake (bass and guitars) and Kevin Mulvihill (drums and percussion). The album was produced
mixed and engineered by Andy Wells, who also appears to have composed all of the material.
The initial idea behind Pilrym was to provide a vehicle that moved more towards "challenging progressive music" and, while I would agree that the musical content does have some Progressive leanings,
I personally would tend to classify this as a soft rock album along the lines of John Wetton (no, he's not prog either) - and this is the problem, the album is a prime example of all that's wrong with trying to categorise music and bands. Is it progressive? - no, I don't think so. Do I care? - not one iota; because the end result is still satisfying - whatever you choose to call it.
The opening trio of tracks fit together very well as a package and, for me, represent the strengths of this band. The music overall puts one in mind of bands like Asia, while some of the guitar work has a
definite Gary Moore edge. There is a vibrant upbeat mood to the opening segment and the guitars, keyboards and rhythm section interact well with one another.
The vocals are soft, laid back and really very pleasant to listen to, while the addition of backing harmonies add an extra dimension.
The next two tracks are predominantly instrumental, but not exclusively so, and for me contain some of the weakest parts of the album.
'Building a Perfect Universe Pt 1' starts out as a space rock number with synth effects and machine-like, pulsing rhythms painting a desolate picture. This feel changes as it suddenly bursts out into a lighter keyboard theme with soaring guitar work, which is quite progy in nature, before coming back to the style of the opening. Had it stopped at this point i would probably have enjoyed it more - but the final section with organ effects and stop/start percussion is just a little too quirky, even annoying at times, and mars an otherwise good track.
'Building a Perfect Universe Pt 2' is more upbeat with a slightly funky mood initially.
Very quickly though, things slow down and we are soon listening to some superb lead guitar work painted over a rich keyboard back drop. This eventually gives way to the Hammond organ which, having broken through, quickly takes the spotlight and adds a definite seventies rock-style. Again it is the closing segment that lets this number down, and the lyrics "all that you touch; all that you see", appear to be a direct rip off from Pink Floyd and, as such, do the band no real favours.
'Song of the Albatross' is a restrained and calm instrumental piece, where sounds of waves and seagulls set the scene nicely.
The music has an easy flow quality with the piano and soft guitar work complementing one another.
The last track of the album proper, 'Black Sun',
has a darker, threatening edge and shows the band performing at their best. From the very outset keyboards and guitar work hard, feeding off one another, to create atmosphere while the strong bass line powers along throughout providing the threatening undercurrent. The vocal performance here is also very solid and is well suited to the style of the track, which in many ways is very reminiscent of King Crinson's classic 'Starless'.
The final two pieces are, curiously, listed as being bonus tracks.
When it comes to new album releases I clearly don't understand this 'bonus' concept - bonus to what exactly? To my mind either the tracks belong on the album or they don't - and I'm sorry to say that I tend to view tracks flagged in this way as little more than space fillers. That having been said 'Reborn' is quite a nice additional piece to have included and, unlike the rest of the CD, is a live recording. The track itself has a hazy, mellow mood and the muted keyboards and flute give a slightly King Crimson feel once again - with maybe a hint of Janison Edge. The soaring guitar work is really excellent, and if this is a true representation of how the band perform live, then I for one would like to see them...
The second of these two bonuses I am not quite so sure about. It appears to be little more than a stripped down version of the album's opening track and really does not add much in the way of value. Apart
from being some 2 minutes shorter than the main version, I honestly could not tell the difference, but it did at least serve to fix the song in my head and maybe that is the point!
Artwork for the album is excellent, and original in terms of style and composition, but while the 4 page booklet contains all the song lyrics, there is not much else here. Hopefully if budget allows, more can
be done with the band's next planned release.
Initially I was a little unsure of this album, but after several listens I have to say it really started to grow on me.
Although it is still fair to say that the album contains some less inspiring moments; overall 'Pilgimage' is an enjoyable listen, and for a debut release I think Pilgrym have got off to pretty solid start.
When all is said and done what we have here is a very creditable rock album with progressive elements and, as such, it is an album that should have fairly broad appeal which, while maybe not essential listening, is
still worth checking out.
Simon 30th May 2004
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