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Stunning debut by a new supergroup
consisting of members of various 'prog' bands. Kino are fronted
by guitarist John Mitchell(ARENA) who also sings, Pete Trewavas(MARILLION),
John Beck(IT BITES) and former PORCUPINE TREE drummer Chris
Maitland.
Far from your garden variety 'Neo-prog'
supergroup on the Insideout label, KINO are that rare entity
that works as a fresh new voice in melodic rock. You won't
hear mellotron overkill, Genesis sections ripped off wholesale
or 45 minute-long album tracks dressed up to be what they're
not(progressive). If you're looking for retro-prog trying
to bring back 1971, or bands who take their names from Genesis
songs or Tolkein novels, you're barking up the wrong tree.
Kino's main focus are the songs, and how they stack as a whole
or apart. Some mentioned that PICTURE is 'pop', no not really.
There are also moments of intricate grandness , but all executed
professionally. I would say that KINO are accessable rather
than pop. The melodies are strong and the musicianship elegant,
but not without edge as well. There is that progressive edge
to music that is genuine.
Clearly this band was forged from
mutual respect for each other's musical abilities, and will
not disappoint fans from any of the members' main bands. Neo-prog
sounds of Arena do merge well with the alt-rock sounds of
Marillion and Porcupine Tree and the melodic rock & roll of
It Bites. Yet, nobody really has to know anything about Marillion
or Porcupine Tree or 'neo-prog' to enjoy the powerful and
melodic content on PICTURE. There are other influences as
well. They bring a lot of influences to the table: Radiohead,
Beatles, Floyd, Zeppelin, Coldplay, Sting, Genesis, grunge,
prog, metal, sophisticated pop of 10CC or Supertramp. You
may hear some of that in there.
ARENA's John Mitchell has proven
to be a real soulful player and one of my favorite guitarists
these days. His playing has taste and a lot of bite, and he
sets himself far apart from the Hackett wannabes and prog
noodlers. No wasted notes, and none executed without some
sort of feel or soul behind them. John Beck's keyboard textures
are solid throughout, and Chris Maitland provides real, solid
drumming which propells the tunes. Pete Trewavas is the one
Marillion guy who seems happiest on stage and on record, he
seems to be one of the most well rounded and professional
of this genre. He puts a lot into whatever he does and is
content, I gather, to play music in many styles- be it pop,
prog, melodic rock, or whatever. I would even dare to say
that PICTURE is far superior to Marillion's 'MARBLES'. Whatever
these four have done in the past, KINO sounds like an organic
'band' where all the members actually WANT to play with each
other. They have a sound of their own, and make good use of
their individual styles and influences. The songs are:
LOSER'S DAY PARADE:
Opening 9 minute epic starts strong,
with an alternative edge. The middle section is somewhat late-mid
Beatles(Revolver maybe?) with some muffled voice and analogue
production sound. It breaks back into grunge styles merged
with some tricky instrumental bits, and goes into an atmospheric
section before ending in a more anthemic manner. Nice leads
from Mr. Mitchell. There's quite a lot going on during this
song and should satisfy any art-rock fan.
LETTING GO:
Powerful anthem chorus, nice harmonies,
nice vocals from Mitchell. His vocal style is closer in spirit
to modern rock than the 'frontman' type microphone wrangler.
This helps put the focus on the music as a whole rather than
any up-staging 'personality'. His vocals do have still have
some edge and passion though. Nice 'Zeppeliny' synths too.
LEAVE A LIGHT ON:
A modern Marillion-sounding track
with some good AOR keys from John Beck. A Rush-style middle
section and synth solo flesh it out some. Reminds me of The
Police as well.
SWIMMING IN WOMEN:
More of a standard 'Neo-prog' sound
here(think of ARENA or Pallas), kind of dark. Actually one
of the coolest, if not one of the only, songs about sperm
ever recorded. Nice ominous keys and overall vibe. The fact
that semi-humorous lyrics are set to such edgey and supposedly
'serious' music are enough to inform you that 'prog' can have
a sense of humor. John Beck handles the lead vocals on this
one song.
PEOPLE:
Guitar and chorus reminds me of
the band Jadis. Drums and guitar kick it up a bit towards
the end.
ALL YOU SEE:
This one is, I suppose, the power
ballad with keyboard strings and crying guitar solo.
PERFECT TENSE: Mid-tempo track which
may recall Marillion circa 1999(Marillion.Com album), but
also a hint of Sting or even Mike & The Mechanics. Lyrics
are about religion, I think(popular subject manner for Neo-proggers
for some reason).
ROOM FOR TWO:
A short, bouncey and rockin' track
that probably stomps when performed live. In a perfect world,
this may have been one of the singles from the record. A modern
rock vibe to this one, nice chorus, so catchy that you can't
possibly hate it.
HOLDING ON:
Probably one of the more musically
involved cuts from the album, going through many moods and
influences. Acoustic guitar features for the first and only
time on this track. A little bit of a YES sound blended with
Kino's own edgey approach, especially in the keyboard department.
PICTURE:
The title track is very short and
very simple, but one of the most musically cohesive and moving
pieces on the whole record. Mostly just a dreamy piano theme
and vocals- strangely sad, haunting, even beautiful. And with
that, the album is over.
This is one of the few records that
I have played several times over in one sitting, which is
rare. I can't say enough good about KINO. Miles above stuff
like Aryeon and Flower Kings. I hope KINO find the time to
create more music in the furute, as PICTURE has been rather
successful and well recieved, and had been getting good reviews
throughout. And if you liked this album, head over to their
website and get a copy of 'CUTTING ROOM FLOOR'- a new online
only disc of demos, live cuts and new songs(including a killer
14-minute track) which compliments the PICTURE.
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