In progressive rock, the release of a 'Mostly Autumn' album has always been an event not to be missed for me and, after having spoiled us with 'Graveyard Star' in 2021, the British band offered us the magnificent concert 'Back In These Arms (Live 2022)' and finally covers recorded, excuse me for saying so, in the Abbey Road studios' with 'Studio 2' dating from 2023. So, a big year later, the joy of putting a new album of original compositions from the 'Bryan Josh'/'Olivia Sparnenn' couple back in our ears is still very present. No need to keep you waiting, this latest album is yet another milestone in the 'Mostly Autumn' discography, as everything is still there for a wonderful time listening to this rich and generous 'Seawater', which totals 76 minutes, culminating in the nearly 20-minute title track.
Longtime fans may be surprised by the heavy introduction of 'Let's Take a Walk' with its saturated guitar riffs, but it takes off after 3 minutes with a melody just the way we like them, delicately tickling our senses with a catchy rhythm that gives us an irresistible urge to move. Despite the repetition of the musical theme throughout the track, its greatest strength is that it offers several changes in tempo and intensity, making the 9 minutes fly by. Next comes 'Remember All the Rain', the first song sung by 'Olivia Sparnenn', as radiant as ever in her interpretation, on a memorable new melody highlighting folk sounds. Then, 'Be Something' continues in this melodic direction with, this time, the couple in life and on stage, 'Bryan Josh'/'Olivia Sparnenn', who form a beautiful vocal duet.
After this radiant and catchy beginning, we enter a series of melodic gems which, for my part, triggered in me on multiple occasions that characteristic little thrill and which demonstrate all the talent of 'Bryan Josh' to offer us beautiful intense moments: the long development 'When We Ran' is a wonderful ode to 'Bryan Josh's' father, who passed away too soon, which begins with a stripped-down piano/voice part which will then take us into a lively saraband punctuated by several changes of key which add to this melodic momentum that we would like it to never stop. The emotional cursor now reaches peaks with the wonderful ballad 'If Only for a Day' in which the couple 'Josh' gives me goosebumps throughout the title, whether by the intense and moving singing of Olivia' but also by the guitar solos of 'Bryan' which combined take us to seventh heaven.
After all this overwhelming emotion, 'When Nations Collide', which has never been more relevant today, offers us a new ballad just as remarkable, in which we are lulled by the haunting singing of Olivia Sparnenn' in a calm first half, and which offers a slight crescendo for a majestic finale with a new superb guitar solo. This is followed by 'My Home', which begins with beautiful alternations of intensity and rhythm, and continues with a catchy anthem in which we want to sing along to the refrain 'This was my home'. Then, 'Mars' is another track filled with beautiful emotion. Its slow tempo features an atmospheric first part, sung by 'Bryan Josh' accompanied by a few layers of keyboards, and it suddenly gains momentum in the second half with 'Olivia Sparnenn' who illuminates this track with her powerful vocals, interspersed with a captivating guitar solo.
This process of creating striking contrasts, which is one of the hallmarks of 'Mostly Autumn', is used again in 'Future Is a Child', making it yet another composition imbued with considerable emotional intensity. The instrumental parts further add to this feeling, notably with the acoustic guitar solo and the break in the second half highlighting Angela Gordon's haunting flute but also with the remarkable final rush. It's time for the long, eponymous final development of the album which slowly spreads its wings with its gentle introduction in which we find ourselves on a cozy little cloud, lulled by the celestial singing of Olivia Sparnenn', then, the storm rumbles in the distance to prepare an atmospheric instrumental section which leads to a long rhythmic acceleration with a gripping melody bringing this sense of urgency of our climate situation, Olivia Sparnenn's singing adding to this feeling of unleashing the elements, chanting 'World Tsunami, Just another clause in the contract we signed and sealed four billion years ago'. The final section returns to a calmer atmosphere that slowly builds to a crescendo, offering us a sumptuous symphonic finale of extreme power, with instrumental accompaniments that give us goosebumps, before falling back into a few piano notes accompanied by some birdsong: simply beautiful!
In summary, 'Bryan Josh' has once again surpassed himself in composing melodic gems of tremendous emotional intensity, and this 'Seawater' adds a new gem to the entire 'Mostly Autumn' discography. If you want more, like I do, you'll just have to wait for the British to reissue the limited edition that adds one more CD, because it's already sold out (see here)... | |
