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BRIGHTEYE BRISON is a Swedish outfit in the classic prog
mould, though also sporting some art-rock elements in a lot
of the vocal 'song' sections which recall Supertramp, Genesis
and 10CC at times, but not so much you'd notice. Yes, solo
Wakeman and Gentle Giant sounds as well. Plenty of melodic
themes and moody or dramatic moments for the prog nut in you,
with a definate 70's throwback sound. There's also a bit of
a fusion or jazz leaning, but mostly in flavor rather than
in execution. Vocals are in English and don't have any real
accent issues, though they pretty much are vocals of the 'band
member that sings' variety rather than that of the 'lead vocalist'.
This is Brighteye's third album.***
the trax:
STORIES: judging from the amateurish sounding opening
synth squiggles, you may be forgiven if you may have gotten
the impression that you were hearing the opening notes of
some formulaic fourth rate Neo band, but before long there
is some decent feel from the understated yet nimble rhythm
section and guitar. At less than three minutes in length,
there is plenty of texture and sections in this title track.***
PATTERNS: the previous track acts as an intro to this
epic, which again has plenty of musical contrasts. The vocal
'song' aspects come close to art rock giants such as Supertramp
at their most atmospheric. As expected, the first 'main' track
pretty much sums up the rest of the album.***
ISOLATION: mid-tempo art-prog track with some mellotron,
cinematic synths in the Wakeman vein, and a hint of jazz.***
BATTLE OF BRIGHTEYE BRISON: classical elements for this
lengthy one, and nice organ chords. Many sections here, including
a funky section and a narrative section as well. Horns come
in as well for a somewhat Baroque section.***
ELENAH: reflective piano intro which segues into the next
track.***
LATE: a moodier almost-ballad with some jazzy touches
and a pretty happening and emotional guitar solo. Some light
saxophone adds that slight nuance, and some decent Steely
Dan harmonies raise this track above some of the others.***
LIFE INSIDE: another slower track which boasts a somewhat
dreamy hue and an almost Rundgren-esque feel before going
into some more panoramic instrumentation.***
ALL LOVE: the longest track on the album at 9 minutes
has some Yes moments The use of saxophone is refreshing and
adds an element of smooth class- it should have been used
more often, though I suppose that would have altered the landscape
of the band and the material altogether. Plenty of instrumental
moments, including a xylophone-sounding solo which was not
the least bit expected. There's some flute as well.***
WE WANNA RETURN: and perhaps they shall. This is another
Supertramp meets Flower Kings type track.***
STORIES(Reprise): a return of the opening track theme
which ends the album in grand fasion.***
A little more original than some, and full of decent
textures and musical kibbles & bits. If you like 70's-worshipping
prog-rock, try this one.***
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