New and Updated

Updated 10th September:

Crystal Teardrop (UK): Loves You More (Popclaw, download, 2026)
Psychedelic/Pop
Alexandra Rose (lead vocals, guitar, mandola)
In the accompany press release, my friend and ‘Galactic Ramble’ and ‘Endless Trip’ co-author Richard Morton Jack describes this as ‘an intoxicating brew of jangling guitars and electric sitar, swirling organ and tight grooves’ and he’s right on the money. Like their first, this is excellent retro garage pop drawing on both psychedelia and girl group influences, and if it resembles countless albums you’ve heard from the late sixties that’s actually a feature not a bug. GRADE: B–.

Nephila (Sweden): Huldra (Majestic Mountain, black and yellow splatter vinyl, 2026)
Rock/Metal/Progressive
Josephine Asker (joint lead vocals), Stina Olsson (joint lead vocals)
Listening to both of Nephila’s albums in succession, it’s clear that in one sense Huldra is a step backwards – at least Nephila had a 9½-minute closing track. However, in every other regard it’s two steps forward, with a much more confident mood and a much stronger set of songs, resembling Mr Hellenrud’s former band in its poise and swagger. As such, this is a B–, though the gap between the band’s two albums is lesser than that distinction might suggest. GRADE: B–.

Tenebra (Italy): Gen Nero (LSDIY 001, 2019)
Metal
Silvia Feninno (lead vocals)
Tenebra’s brand of stripped-down seventies-influenced hard rock and metal is dynamic, appealing and extremely well executed. But whilst there’s no obvious room for improvement within their chosen template, there’s also a limit to the grade I can give to music this relatively unambitious. GRADE: C+.
Tenebra (Italy): Moongazer (New Heavy Sounds NHSCD036, CD, 2022)
Metal
Silvia Feninno (lead vocals, tambourine)
The lovely cover might make you expect something progressive, but this is good old-fashioned retro rock like their debut. I’d emphasise the word ‘good’ in that description, as this is once again very well executed. But whilst it seems churlish to criticise an album from what it isn’t rather than what it is, I’m once again not convinced their chosen limitations make their music interesting enough to merit a B–. GRADE: C+.

Updated 3rd September:

Red Pocket (USA): Thick (Tzadik TZ 7710, CD, with obi, 2004)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Jewlia Eisenberg (joint lead vocals, bass), Marika Hughes (joint lead vocals, cello)
Aided by a nimble drummer, this Charming Hostess offshoot offer a procession of well-crafted songs with lots of interesting diversions. However, as the descriptor “songs” makes clear, there are no extended jams or wild instrumental diversions here, and there’s only so much one can do with voices, bass, cello, drums and percussion (though the quite dissimilar Grayceon have made some fascinating albums with a similar instrumental palette). GRADE: C+.
See also 2 Foot Yard, Charming Hostess, Graham Connah’s Sour Note Seven, Famous Last Words, Jewlia Eisenberg, Jettison Slinky, Stellamara

Revelation (USA): Revelation (Emmaus REV-001, 1979)
Jazz/Funk
Erica Friday (principal vocals), Sheri Paglia (occasional vocals, keyboards)
This religious album isn’t folk-based, like most such ventures, but jazz/funk with lots of horns. It’s perfectly well executed for what it is, and if you like jazz/funk with lots of horns you could get something out of it. I do not like jazz/funk with lots of horns but I do like folk-based music, making the uncharacteristic and beautiful ‘What Was It Like?’ by far the album’s highlight. GRADE: C.

Transgress (Germany): No Place To Hide (GB 45, blue vinyl, with CD and inserts, 2003)
Psychedelic
Nina Tasaousidis (lead vocals)
This garage-rock album has a trebly sound, crunchy riffs, snotty vocals and plenty of attitude. What it doesn’t have is a memorable set of songs, and it’s actually the occasional ballads that work best, significantly lifting the rest of the album. The bonus CD features four bonus tracks totalling 11 minutes, making one wonder why they didn’t include the album proper, thus giving the listener the choice of hearing it in an analogue or digital format. GRADE: C+.

Updated 27th August:

Loermel (UK): Emanuel (No label, cassette, 1991)
Progressive
Vicky Horobin (lead vocals)
Across this three-song, 14-minute set, the deeply obscure neoprogressive outfit Loermel demonstrate a rather gauzy style that somewhat resembles a less theatrical Quasar or (to a much lesser extent) Solstice or Edge. There’s nothing here you’ll desperately need to hear, but this does add a further piece to the surprisingly significant jigsaw of female-fronted eighties prog outfits. GRADE: C+.

Monsoon Bassoon (UK): Redoubtable (Org organ 13, cassette, 1995)
Progressive
Sarah Measures (occasional vocals, flute, clarinet)
This early project by the prolific Kavus Torabi owes an obvious heavy debt to the Cardiacs, with the same post-new wave flavour, wonky riffs and quirky tempo changes. However, whilst Sarah Measures’s winds add a welcome RIO flavour, this doesn’t quite have the tunefulness or the sheer sense of fun of the Cardiacs at their finest. However, there’s enough good music here to make me wish this was longer than a four-track, 14-minute EP. GRADE: C+.

Pentagram (Holland): The First Piece (No label, cassette, 1989)
Progressive
M Elmont (lead vocals)
The band name might imply metal, but this five-song, 23-minute cassette offers characteristic eighties neoprogressive in a style similar to Arrakeen or Quasar. Whilst those comparisons don’t exactly represent the highest recommendation, this is pleasant stuff, with a good balance between chunky riffs and symphonic keyboards, and Pentagram were probably unlucky that The First Piece was also their last piece. GRADE: C+.

Updated 20th August:

Julie July Band (UK): Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Aurora Folk JJB18CD1, CDR, 2018)
Folk/Rock
Julie July (lead vocals)
An album of Sandy Denny covers is a bold way for any band to open its career – her own interpretations of most of her songs were so effective as to leave little room for improvement, permitting radical reinterpretation as the only obvious option. Julie July Band’s tribute to her on the 40th anniversary of her death isn’t exactly radical, but they sensibly avoid the trap of offering note-for-note remakes. The result is a beautiful and delicate folk/rock album, though it would have been difficult to go wrong with this particular set of songs. Whether you’ll feel compelled to listen to these versions in preference to the originals is an entirely different matter, however. GRADE: B–.
Julie July Band (UK): Lady Of The First Light (Aurora Folk JJB19CD1, CDR, 2018)
Folk/Rock
Julie July (lead vocals)
Julie July Band’s first album of original songs provides the acid test: how do they fare when performing their own material, rather than that of one of Britain’s greatest singer/songwriters? Surprisingly well, is the answer: at its best, this builds on Denny’s legacy in a similar way to Mandy Morton’s Magic Lady. That said, a few songs drift dangerously close to the middle of the road, but for the most part this is lovely stuff – tasteful, heartfelt, delicate and beautifully recorded. GRADE: B–.
Julie July Band (UK): Wonderland (Thoroughbred Music TBRED9306, CDR, with digipak and booklet, 2022)
Folk/Rock
Julie July (lead vocals), Carol Lee Sampson (keyboards, backing vocals)
A detractor could accuse the July Julie Band of being formulaic: from album to album, they alternate stately folk/rockers with haunting melodies and a faint Fleetwood Mac or Eagles vibe with more delicate acoustic cuts. But it’s such a winning formula – write great songs, arrange them tastefully and perform them with both verve and sensitivity – that said detractor would quickly end up eating his or her own words. GRADE: B–.
Julie July Band (UK): Flight Of Fancy (Aurora Folk JJB24CD1, CD, 2024)
Folk/Rock
Julie July (lead vocals), Carol Lee Sampson (keyboards, backing vocals)
The musical palette is a lot broader here – overt country influences on the opening title track, the reggae rhythm of ‘Boho Woman’, the slight soul stylings of ‘Front Of Nowhere’ and ‘Stuck In A Bubble’. The problem is that none of these experiments work particularly well, and despite the album being charming elsewhere (especially the sublime, mildly psychedelic ‘All In Our Minds’) Flight Of Fancy suggests that sometimes two-trick ponies should concentrate on perfecting those tricks so they remain outstanding in their field. GRADE: C+.
Julie July Band (UK): Diamond Rainbows (No label, 2026)
Rock
Julie July (lead vocals), Carol Lee Sampson (keyboards, backing vocals)
Freed from the failed experiments of Flight Of Fancy, here Ms July and her crew indulge their passion for Fleetwood Mac to the full – this is sometimes so similar as to qualify for a pastiche. Don’t expect another Fleetwood Mac or Rumours, obviously. Do expect a consistently fine set of classic rock, with great hooks, arrangements and performances – all so unpretentious and understated that on a casual listen you might be tempted to underrate this. GRADE: B–.

Updated 13th August:

Anchoress (UK): As We Once Were (Last Night From Glasgow LNFG236, double CD, with digibook, 2026)
Singer/Songwriter/Rock/Progressive
Catherine Anne Davies
Davies’s first set of original material in five years continues to challenge the definition of ‘prog’ in the twenty-first century. It also raises the question of whether musical context can be as important as music here. There’s no doubt that this collection of songs is very good indeed, starting with the strutting rock (whatever the female equivalent of cock-rock is – vulva- or vagina-rock, perhaps?) of ‘Throw Over Your Man’. However, it’s the linking tracks and sound effects that place it within the broad prog canon, and to a significant extent within my sphere of interest. But whatever your angle on this, I strongly suspect you’ll be impressed by the sheer quality of her songs and her lush arrangements, irrespective of whether you find the experimental elements peripheral or fundamental to its success. The second disc, incidentally, consists of alternate mixes and demos and is also mostly excellent. GRADE: B–.

Floating Nest (Spain): Blow Off Steam (Astronomy Recording Music ARMCD022, CD, with digisleeve, 2026)
Progressive/Metal
Sara Gaspar (lead vocals, keyboards)
It would be easy to dismiss Floating Nest as the missing link between dense South American modern prog and District 97 – and that’s because, at least on a superficial level, they are. But there’s a rhythmic wildness here you won’t find in those influences: ‘Circus’, for instance, really does evoke a carnival atmosphere. As such, this is far more interesting than the typical modern ‘heavy prog’ album and is one of the best executions of the style I’ve heard, even if it’s never going to be my favourite genre. I just wish Sara Gaspar had sung in Spanish – her English pronunciation is good enough if you don’t follow along on the lyric sheet, but slightly jarring if you do. GRADE: B–.

Long Earth (UK/Holland): Towards The Sky (Bakeneko BN14, CD, UK, 2026)
Progressive
Maiike Siegerist (lead vocals)
After three albums with an all-male line-up, Scottish prog band Long Earth teamed up with Dutch singer/songwriter Maiike Siegerist; the results are akin to a less gauzy early Karnataka or eighties Renaissance in laid-back ballad mode. On the plus side, Siegerist has a pleasant and tranquil voice and the band compose and arrange tastefully, but as those comparisons suggest this is not exactly challenging music and their material never quite crosses the barrier between good and great. GRADE: C+.

Manic Vice (Spain): Sólo En Nuestra Cabeza (Astronomy Recording Music ARMCD025, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2026)
Progressive
Celia Martín Navas (occasional vocals, keyboards)
Very difficult to describe, this inventive and charming album blends all kinds of influences: I can hear some Canterbury touches, some moments recalling Édition Spéciale, bits of the Beatles and quite a lot of classic rock. From heavy riffing to fusion-like elements to a drum solo, if Manic View can purloin it and put it to good effect then they will. If only more modern prog bands had such eclectic tastes – and such effective chops. GRADE: B–.

Updated 6th August:

David Carroll & Friends (UK): Bold Reynold Free (Talking Elephant, CD, 2026)
Folk/Rock
Lucy Cooper (joint lead vocals)
A new David Carroll & Friends album is always a welcome event and a shoo-in for my end-of-year best albums list. After all, what’s not to like about a slightly more delicate twist on classic Fairport and Steeleye? This time round, Lucy Cooper gets a somewhat higher profile, which is no bad thing either. GRADE: B–.

Grand Slam (France): Janus (No label, CD, with digifile, 2026)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Jessica Martin Maresco (joint lead vocals), Pauline Laurendeau (joint lead vocals), Caroline Sentis (joint lead vocals), Agnès Potié (joint lead vocals), Louise Perret (joint lead vocals), Emilie Martin (contrabass), Lucie Leker (violin), Fany Fresard (violin), Dorothée Royez (viola), Ciélia Bobichon (clarinet), Nathalie Cornevin (harp)
Le Grand Sbam describe this as ‘a Chthulu opera’ (and, more bafflingly, ‘a philo-zoophic, zoopunk, ecofeminist album’) and it clearly moves them away from their Magma roots and towards a more manic take on early Art Zoyd. The results are, as ever, fascinating, particularly with lots of oriental elements, and at times more than a touch baffling. GRADE: B–.

Pop-A-Cat-A-Petal (UK): Pop-A-Cat-A-Petal (ORG Organ 007, cassette, 1994)
Rock/Progressive
Vanessa Best
Between their incarnations as Blue Apple Boy and Ultrasound, the band formerly known as Sleepy People were briefly Pop-A-Cat-A-Petal, issuing this 16-minute, three-song EP. The quirky, creative rock here is thoroughly enjoyable, lifted by Andrew Wood’s distinctive vocals, but this gives few hints of the brilliance Ultrasound would deliver on their debut double album. GRADE: C+.

Updated 30th July:

Argovia (Colombia/Venezuela): Distant Present (No label, CD, with digipak, Colombia, 2017)
Metal/Progressive
Ani Guillén (lead vocals, guitar, bass)
Dense metallic riffing, rich symphonic keyboards, melodic mid-paced songs averaging around five minutes. You know how typical Latin American prog sounds, right? Well, this sounds like that. GRADE: C+.
Argovia (Colombia/Venezuela): Who We Are (No label, CD, with digipak, Colombia, 2014)
Metal/Progressive
Ani Guillén
This mini-album (34½ minutes including both long and short versions of ‘Oceanborn’) is a slight step up from their first, with some solid riffs and melodies. But once again, they sound like countless other bands from the same broad area. GRADE: C+.
Argovia (Colombia/Venezuela): Primal Repetition (No label, CD, Colombia, 2015)
Metal/Progressive
Ani Guillén (principal vocals, guitar, percussion)
There’s no doubt that Argovia are well above average for what they do – their riffs, textures and even production outclass most other Latin American bands in the same vein. However, the problem remains that there are so many other Latin American bands in the same vein. GRADE: C+.

Elecampane (UK): Swings And Roundabouts (No label ODJ3, cassette, 1987)
Folk/Rock
Daphne Grant (joint lead vocals, recorder), Debbie Ellicott (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, mandolin, whistle)
At its best (the female-sung ‘With My Dog And Gun’, ‘Rambling Girls Of Pleasure’ and title track) this is superb folk/rock, with a haunting quality recalling Steeleye Span or Sandy Denny-fronted Fairport. The album can be quite experimental too, as on the doomy ‘The Vampire’, but a good third of this is a bit too whimsical for its own good, especially on the second side, which captures the music from their stage performance ‘Dr Elektron’s Travelling Fair’. GRADE: C+.

Updated 23rd July:

[No reviews this week due to other commitments.]

Updated 16th July:

In The Labyrinth (Sweden): Samas Antaral (Transubstans TRANS 152, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2018)
Folk/Progressive
Helena Selander (occasional vocals), Miriam Oldenburg (accordion)
Whilst the Tolkien-esque subject matter of this concept album is predictably slightly silly, there is little to criticise about the music here. This is superbly executed progressive folk: richly arranged, intricate and atmospheric, creating a remarkable suite (or, perhaps more accurately, tapestry) that ebbs and flows, always capturing one’s attention. GRADE: B–.
In The Labyrinth (Sweden): To Our Rescue (No label, download, 2023)
Folk/Rock/World Music/Progressive
Helena Selander (occasional vocals)
Lacking the conceptual unity of its predecessor, this feels more like a collection of disparate pieces and slightly less cohesive and consistent as a result. There’s still plenty of fine music here, of course, and this contains some of the most experimental sounds laid down by the band – it was a stroke of genius to combine an electric razor and a Hitler speech on the opening ‘Braun Raga’ (geddit?). GRADE: B–.
In The Labyrinth (Sweden): Worlds On Fire (No label, download, 2026
Folk/Rock/World Music/Progressive
Helena Selander
Compiling recordings made between the 1990s and the present day, this is another superb set from the always reliable In the Labyrinth. Sounding more assured than To Our Rescue, this delivers a remarkably cohesive suite of songs and instrumentals, with the best moments being nothing short of stunning. GRADE: B–.

Updated 9th July:

Across Tundras (USA): Loess – Löss (No label, CDR, with gatefold minisleeve and inserts, 2020)
Psychedelic/Metal
Abigail Lily O’ Hara (backing vocals)
The band bill themselves as Americana, so I expected this to be some kind of folk. In fact, it sits somewhere between heavy psychedelia, shoegaze and borderline metal, with walls of guitars and hesitant vocals. It’s a bit too impressionistic to merit a B–, but it’s also interesting in its slightly unusual melding of elements. GRADE: C+.

Exploring Birdsong (UK): Every House We Built (Long Branch 258322, double, green vinyl, 2026)
Singer/Songwriter/Pop/Progressive
Lynsey Ward
The evolution of musical terms can make them almost meaningless, with ‘prog’ being a case in point. Today it can apply to anyone from the Emily Francis Trio (seventies-style jazz-fusion) to Living In Shadows (a slightly more rocking Shakatak) to Exploring Birdsong (somewhat more difficult to define). Twenty years ago this would barely have been considered progressive, though it’s hard to see how it would have been classified. As usual there’s lots of piano, with a faint Kate Bush and a more distinct singer/songwriter influence, and as usual it also ebbs and flows in a dramatic and symphonic fashion, but this time round electronic and pop elements are more prominent. Art-pop, perhaps? Maybe so, but that doesn’t quite sum it up either. As to its musical merits: I suppose this occupies the same broad space as the Anchoress, but she does it with more verve so her albums get a B– whilst this is a C+. GRADE: C+.

Wandering Vagrant (Italy): Get Lost (No label, CDR, 2018)
Progressive/Metal
Francesca Trampolini (occasional vocals, keyboards)
This is definitely a progressive album with metal edges rather than the other way round and it’s rather good too, with Ms Trampolini’s symphonic and occasionally jazzy keyboards bouncing the hard-riffing songs to the next level. There’s also a fair level of variety, but there are two problems preventing this from crossing the line to very good. The first, common to many progressive bands, is a lack of killer songs and hooks. The second, common to many Italian progressive bands, is the slightly strained and sometimes heavily accented vocals – a different singer could do wonders for Wandering Vagrant. GRADE: C+.

Updated 2nd July:

Crystal Jacqueline & Friends (UK): Smoke Road (Billywitch B1022, CDR plus DVDR, with gatefold minisleeve, 2026)
Folk
Jacqueline Bourne (joint lead vocals, percussion)
This CD reissue of Smoke Road is notable for including a live DVD, featuring an evening of music and poetry by Jacqueline Bourne, Icarus Peel and David Greygoose. If that description and the intro caption ‘An evening of half-heard whispers and dusty dreams’ make you expect something a mite pretentious, you won’t be far wrong, though it’s all enjoyable enough. I do prefer Ms Bourne’s songs to Mr Greygoose’s poetry, though Mr Peel’s spacy guitar ties both together. In any case, the only number not written by any of them (‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’) is the best. My comments on the studio album remain unchanged. GRADE: C+.

Druidspear (UK): The MIller’s Tale (Live At The BBC) (No label, cassette, with insert, 1995)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Jayne Powell
This four-track, 18-minute EP effectively showcases Druidspear’s lively brand of festival-influenced folk/rock. Like many EPs, it perhaps feels a touch slight, but on the plus side it definitely leaves one wanting more. GRADE: C+.
Druidspear (UK): …Slow (Anew ANEW CD 1, CD, 1996)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Jayne Powell
Fully delivering on the promise of their live EP, this features superb festival folk/rock similar to a number of other nineties acts, but without the punky and space-rock edges often associated with the style. Dub reggae rhythms do appear here and there, but for the most part this offers a well-judged mixture of acoustic and electric instrumentation (including a fair bit of Bluehorses-like violin) to create a decidedly seventies-influenced sound. Overall it’s an excellent album that should have gained much more attention at the time and it’s a great pity that the band (which is apparently still active) never recorded again. GRADE: B–.

Lighthouse Keepers (Australia): Tales Of The Unexpected (Hot HOT 1011, with insert, 1984)
Rock
Juliet Ward (lead vocals, tambourine)
Refracting late sixties Californian folk/rock and pop through an indie prism, this is a charming little album that occasionally occupies similar territory to early Blondie. They don’t have Blondie’s knack for killer hooks and tunes, of course, but this is still an enjoyable and unassuming set. GRADE: C+.

Updated 25th June:

Alésia Cosmos (France): Live At Audiorama (Long 07, double CDR, with digipak, 2020)
Jazz/RockAvant-Garde
Marie-Berthe Servier (lead vocals)
Not an issue of a mid-eighties concert, as I had expected, nor a live reunion, this captures a series of spontaneous (thus “live”) improvisations recorded in late 2019. These move the band firmly towards free-jazz and are mildly interesting, making for offbeat background listening, but this sort of stuff isn’t exactly original and the music only really catches fire on the 10-minute closer ‘Last Funk’. GRADE: C+.

Annie Haslam (UK): Snowball (No label, CD, USA, 2009)
MOR
Annie Haslam (lead vocals)
Once again accompanied solely by Rave Tesar’s symphonic keyboards, Haslam delivers the second and final instalment of her Christmas project. As with her first, it’s relaxing, elegant and accomplished, even if – like all her solo albums – she doesn’t exactly sound like she’s stretching herself. GRADE: C+.

Paradox Twin (UK): The Importance Of Mr Bedlam (White Star WSCD9006, CD, with digipak, 2018)
Progressive
Kim Seviour (occasional vocals), Diane Fox (bass)
Whilst the Paradox Twin’s music is clearly rooted in neoprog, it’s also testament to the considerable talent of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Danny Sorrell. At its best, this captures the atmospheric sound of Anathema, though this is rooted more in classic rock with far fewer Floyd touches. In addition to having a female bassist, the band used Touchstone member Kim Seviour as guest vocalist on a couple of cuts. GRADE: C+.
Paradox Twin (UK): Silence From Signals (White Star WSCD9015, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2021)
Progressive
Nicole Johnson (occasional vocals), Diane Fox (bass)
Once again, I’m reminded of Anathema without the greater variety or the longer spacy passages: I suspect that’s as much due to Sorrell’s similarly plaintive voice as to any direct influences. Whether you prefer this to Anathema will depend on your tastes – I miss Anathema’s greater expansiveness, but this is certainly more direct and focused. GRADE: C+.
Paradox Twin (UK): A Romance Of Many Dimensions (White Star WSCD9018, CD, with digipak, 2025)
Progressive/Metal
Sarah Bayley (joint lead vocals)
With a much heavier riffing style, this is their best and most confident to date – thoroughly modern atmospheric prog without artifice or gimmicky or ostentatious tempo changes. How highly it scores for originality may be a different matter, as once again I’m frequently reminded of a band I’ve already cited several times in the Paradox Twin’s reviews – but this time they actually equal their influence. GRADE: B–.

Updated 18th June:

Alunah (UK): Embers Of Belief (Heavy Psych Sounds HPS 393, black, red and blue splatter vinyl, 2026)
Metal
Daisy Savage (lead vocals)
This split album with all-male German band Samavayo sees Alunah – complete with new vocalist Daisy Savage – contributing two studio and two live songs. All are pretty straight mainstream metal with doom edges: nice enough but not particularly exciting. In contrast, Samavayo mix doom, progressive and ethnic elements – most likely due to vocalist and guitarist Behrang Alavi being Iranian – and their much more interesting compositions would merit a B–. GRADE: C+.

Blues Pills (Sweden): Lady In Gold – Live In Paris (Nuclear Blast 27361 40280, Blu-ray plus double CD, with digibook, 2017)
Rock/Metal
Elin Larsson (lead vocals, piano, percussion)
There’s no doubting that Blues Pills are a force of nature live – their performances are raw, dynamic and unrestrained, and this must have been an amazing concert to attend. So why is this only barely a B–? Compared to their retro-rock contemporaries, I find their material rather homogenous and a touch one-dimensional, to the point where the only song I recognised was ‘Devil Man’. GRADE: B–.
Blues Pills (Sweden): Birthday (BMG 964042062, CD, with digisleeve and booklet, 2024)
Rock/Metal
Elin Larsson (lead vocals)
Whilst Blues Pills have for years been at the forefront of the Swedish retro-rock revival, the sheer simplicity of the songs here – nothing over four minutes; mostly just voice, guitar, bass and drums – reminds me of a much heavier Shocking Blue. As to the quality of the songs: much better than Shocking Blue album tracks, but (hardly surprisingly) there’s nothing to rival ‘Send Me A Postcard’ or ‘Long And Lonely Road’ or ‘This America’ here. To me this is a C+ as I like a bit more complexity in my music and would have loved a couple of jams, but as snappy, poppy, dynamic seventies-styled hard rock goes, it’s hard to see how this could be improved upon. GRADE: C+.
Blues Pills (Sweden): Birthday Live (Pollinate Music/Throwdown Entertainment/BMG Rights Management, red vinyl, autographed, 2026)
Rock/Metal
Elin Larsson (lead vocals)
Since 90% of this is Birthday performed live, in order, I don’t have much to add to my last review. However, I will note that Elin Larsson’s voice always reminds me of Inga Rumpf’s in a live context and that whilst I have awarded this another C+ I wish more of Rumpf’s solo career had had this level of energy. GRADE: C+.

Living In Shadows (UK): Living In Shadows (Evening Play EPR3, CD, 2020)
Jazz/Rock
Zoë Gilby (lead vocals)
Living In Shadows’ jazzy songs are sophisticated, mellow, melodic, occasionally angular and mildly interesting – the kind of thing I’d always be happy to hear but would rarely consciously search out. To me this is a solid C+, but if you’re thrilled by the idea of a darker, slightly proggier Shakatak or the Emily Francis Trio with words I suspect it’d be a B–. Even then, I suspect it wouldn’t be a full B. GRADE: C+.
Living In Shadows (UK): Neon Burning (Lamplight Social LSRLP31, with inner, 2024)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Zoë Gilby (lead vocals)
This time round, the duo’s compositions are darker, knottier, more dissonant and more progressive, making for a much more absorbing album. On first hearing, I’d say their sound would require another leap forward to merit a B–, but my opinion could change – and unlike their debut, I can imagine wanting to listen again fairly soon. GRADE: C+.

Updated 11th June:

Ash Wing (UK): Ash Wing (No label, download, 2025)
Progressive
Siân Elson (lead vocals)
The band formerly known as the C Sides Project return with an album that falls into the ‘never knew they had it in them’ category. That’s not to say it’s flawless: it’s often mellow rather than memorable and occasionally brings to mind Magenta (hardly surprising, given that the group was founded by two former Magenta members, with Rob Reed providing the keyboards and the mixing). But this continuous suite of songs is frequently rather lovely and a damn sight better than anything Magenta have ever managed. GRADE: C+.

Kuunatic (Japan): Live At Lexington 9 September 2018 (No label, CDR. 2019)
Psychedelic
This early run-through of Kuunatic’s tribal psychedelia finds them fully-formed, delivering five songs in 31 minutes. Inventive, mantric and frequently quite weird, it’s all quintessentially Far Eastern and for the most part quite fascinating. GRADE: B–.

Marita Mejstam (Sweden): Glas (CBS 65770, 1973)
Pop/Rock
This sophisticated pop album – a bit folky, a mite proggy on the opening ‘Känner Mig Vild Och Lyrisk’ – mixes originals by singer/songwriter Anders F Rönnblom with a few covers. It’s not the kind of thing that is likely to form a cornerstone of anyone’s collection, but if you’re in the mood for high quality seventies pop you could do a damn sight worse. GRADE: C+.

Paatos (Sweden): Paatos Live In Budapest (No label, download, 2025)
Progressive
Petronella Nettermalm
Paatos’s majestic brand of modern prog – elegant, atmospheric, wintry, never ostentatious or ornate – works equally well on stage as in the studio. All I could wish is that there were more than 40 minutes of it. GRADE: B–.

Rhùn (France): Evil Erbez (Baboon Fish BFL 23, CD, with digipak, 2026)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Charlotte Pace (violin)
There’s little doubt that Rhùn are one of the finest modern zeuhl bands, adding real energy and invention to the template taken from Magma. This live album, recorded in 2024, features music that ebbs and flows, occasionally meanders, and frequently dazzles with its dynamism and sheer joie de vivre. GRADE: B–.

Updated 4th June:

Spriggan Mist (UK): Isambard The Mechanical Dragon (Spriggan Promotions, CDR, with mini sleeve, 2022)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Fay Brotherhood (principal vocals, guitar), Maxine Cilia (guitar, saxophone, clarinet, recorder, crumhorn, whistle, backing vocals)
Here Spriggan Mist add another new vocalist and rediscover their progressive roots. Are the two things connected? I have no idea. However, the band have plenty of ideas and the results are consequently very pleasing indeed, making clear their festival roots and their deep love of early seventies folky prog. GRADE: B–.
Spriggan Mist (UK): The Glare (Progrock.com’s Essentials, CD, with digipak, 2025)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Fay Brotherhood (lead vocals, guitar), Maxine Cilia (guitar, saxophone, recorder, whistle, backing vocals)
Their Jethro Tull influence is even (albeit slightly) more obvious here, which is no bad thing. In fact, I’m struggling to find anything to bad to say about Spriggan Mist, who once again recapture an early seventies ambience without a hint of neoprogressive pretensions. GRADE: B–.

Starofash (Norway): Sólblindi (No label, download, 2026)
Progressive/Classical
Heidi Solberg Tveitan
These three instrumentals, totalling 17 minutes, fall somewhere between a film soundtrack and a mini-symphony. Haunting, relaxing and beautifully crafted, they stand testament to Tveitan’s talent as a composer and musician, particularly given her very different background in extreme metal. GRADE: B–.

Updated 28th May:

Spriggan Mist (UK): Myths And Legends (No label, CD, with minisleeve, 2015)
Folk/Rock
Maxine Cilia, Bex Rennie
Myths And Legends delivers three changes: the vocals are back in the centre of the mix (hurrah!), Maxine Cilia is singing everything, and Spriggan Mist’s sound has become considerably more mellow. The result is perhaps a slight step up from its predecessor, but much of that improvement rests on the production as this has considerably less energy and considerably fewer ideas than their first couple of efforts. GRADE: C+.
Spriggan Mist (UK): The Portal (Spriggan Promotions, CD, with minisleeve, 2017)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Ann-Mari Thomas (principal vocals, bass, keyboards), Maxine Cilia (guitar, saxophone, recorder, whistle, backing vocals)
Spriggan Mist have a new vocalist (who, whilst she has a very pleasant voice, doesn’t really do anything that Maxine Cilia couldn’t) and a slightly more progressive slant here. With some of their best melodies in years, it’s a definite step up from their last couple of efforts. GRADE: B–.
Spriggan Mist (UK): Live At Quiet Whistle Test (Spriggan Promotions, CDR, with minisleeve, 2018)
Folk/Rock
Ann-Mari Thomas (principal vocals, bass, keyboards), Maxine Cilia (occasional vocals, guitar, saxophone, recorder, whistle)
Most bands stretch out and jam live; Spriggan Mist disappointingly deliver a series of concise performances, with nothing over six minutes. That said, there is nothing disappointing about the music itself: this is simply lovely folk/rock, packed with rich melodies and delivered with both precision and class. GRADE: B–.
Spriggan Mist (UK): Ghostly Tales Live (Spriggan Promotions, CDR, with minisleeve, 2020)
Folk/Rock
How ‘live’ this is, I’m not sure: there is very little in the way of audience noise or stage announcements and the recording is nothing short of superb. So, for the most part, is the music: whilst they once again don’t really stretch out, the band deliver consistently fine versions of some of their most consistently fine songs. GRADE: B–.

Updated 21st May:

Spriggan Mist (UK): Caught In A Spell (No label, CD, 2010)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Maxine Cilia (joint lead vocals, guitar, saxophone, recorder, banjitar), Gillian Lambert (synthesiser, flute)
This progressive folk/rock crew’s name may recall Spriguns, but the most obvious influence on their sound is Jethro Tull, with a smattering of Steeleye Span and Ougenweide. Effectively weaving together the progressive and folky sides of their sound on nine robust mid-length songs packed with unexpected twists and turns, they achieve a genuinely impressive debut. GRADE: B–.
Spriggan Mist (UK): Soul Retriever (No label, CD, 2010)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Maxine Cilia (joint lead vocals, guitar, saxophone, recorder,), Bex Rennie (cello, recorder, backing vocals)
On the downside, this is considerably less ambitious and eccentric than their first, with a more straightforwardly rocking mood and some psychedelic rather than progressive edges. On the upside, they’ve written another fine set of songs and executed them with aplomb (and excellent sound quality), so it’s another B–. GRADE: B–.
Spriggan Mist (UK): Ghostly Tales (No label, CD, 2010)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Maxine Cilia (joint lead vocals, guitar, saxophone, recorder), Bex Rennie (cello, recorder, backing vocals)
Whilst enjoyable, this feels less assured than their first two, partly due to the sloppy production, which disconcertingly pans all the lead vocals hard left. Nonetheless, there’s some good music here, even if it feels a mite unambitious compared to their debut and is crying out for a remix. GRADE: C+.

Updated 14th May:

I, The Weapon (Argentina): The Ivy (No label, cassette, with poster, postcards, badge, sticker and box, 2018)
Metal/Progressive
Sabrina S Acosta (occasional vocals, drums, percussion)
At its best, this sludgy doom album – which mixes harsh, clean and spoken vocals, the latter delivering poetry – builds up an impressive head of steam. At others it meanders somewhat, leaving me torn to a grade; however, the lack of truly memorable riffs makes it a C+. GRADE: C+.

Updated 7th May:

Emily Francis Trio (UK): The Absent (No label, CD, 2015)
Jazz/Rock
Emily Francis (keyboards)
Ms Francis has been causing a stir in progressive rock circles, but this isn’t prog by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, track titles like ‘Hops ’n’ Scotch’ and ‘Winnebago’ tell their own story: this is good old-fashioned keyboard-led jazz-fusion with a mid-seventies American feel. If you love the theme from ‘Taxi’, you should pay your fare and hitch a ride immediately; for everyone else, this may be some of the classiest background music you’ve heard in quite some time. GRADE: C+.
Emily Francis Trio (UK): New Town (No label, download, 2016)
Jazz/Rock
Emily Francis (keyboards)
‘New Town’ maybe, but no new musical direction, as this 20-minute EP is essentially a continuation of The Absent. As such, my comments apply unchanged – this is sophisticated, mellow stuff that’s well composed, performed and recorded, with the results being eminently listenable but a little lacking in anything that grabs the attention. GRADE: C+.
Emily Francis Trio (UK): Luma (No label, CD, 2022)
Jazz/Rock
Emily Francis (keyboards)
This is definitely music not muzak due to its rock strength, but it specifically reminds me of library music. As such, without changing their basic style, the Trio seem to have shifted their influences slightly: whereas they previously sounded inspired by seventies Dave Grusin and Bob James, they now appear influenced by seventies de Wolfe or KPM releases. Indeed, if you end up getting slightly bored you can start making up your own liner notes (‘a pacy rock number with a driving rhythm’, ‘sophisticated piano music suggesting a hotel lobby’ and so on). GRADE: C+.
Emily Francis Trio (UK): Atomic (No label EFTCD-03, CDR, with minisleeve, 2024)
Jazz/Rock
Emily Francis (keyboards)
I’m assuming the title is intended ironically, as there’s nothing explosive about Emily Francis’s music: no incendiary musicianship or outbursts of manic energy. She’s even starting to recycle: ‘Don’t Forget To Feed The Orchid’ sounds like a retitled remake of an older number, which is pretty rich considering there’s only 21 minutes of music here (and that’s including two different versions of ‘Lydian Child’). (Alternatively, perhaps I’m wrong and all their pieces are starting to blur into one, though I’m not convinced that’s a compliment either.) As for the actual material? Once again the adjectives that spring to mind are ‘nice’, ‘pleasant’, ‘classy’ and ‘mellow’, which may or may not make this your cup of chamomile. GRADE: C+.
Emily Francis Trio (UK): Atomic Tour Live (No label EFTCD-04, double CD, with digipak, 2024)
Jazz/Rock
Emily Francis (keyboards)
I wasn’t expecting Angine de Poitrine levels of weirdness from the Trio’s live album, but one might as well be listening to their studio sets. That’s not necessarily a putdown: it’s testament to the quality of both the musicianship and recording, and in fairness they do extend some of the numbers, albeit in a careful and structured way. But where some live albums are a revelation, this one reinforces my opinions about them: they’re very good at what they do and I could imagine myself enjoying their music in most circumstances. But I can’t imagine myself actively seeking it out to play, so it’s still a C+. GRADE: C+.

Updated 30th April:

Anekdoten (Sweden): Anekdoten (No label, cassette, 1992)
Progressive
Anna-Sofi Dahlberg (Mellotron, cello, backing vocals)
Anekdoten’s demo shows them arriving fully formed, with all the sonic elements that would define them already in place. From the dynamic rock of ‘The Old Man And The Sea’ and several other cuts to the haunting acoustic instrumental ‘Longing’ they’re completely in control, with the dense bass work and wall-to-wall Mellotron providing a unique sound that references King Crimson, post-punk and more. It’s unusual to hear a demo that most bands would consider their magnum opus, but here it is. GRADE: B.
Anekdoten (Sweden): Vemod (Virta 001, CD, 1993)
Progressive
Anna-Sofi Dahlberg (occasional vocals, keyboards, cello)
The possibilities offered by a studio budget allow Anekdoten to reconfigure their demo – the same six numbers in a different running order, plus one new piece – in the most remarkable way possible. As such, it’s unsurprising that they were immediately hailed as one of the great progressive bands of the nineties. This is impressive music focusing on dynamism rather than self-conscious complexity, and with some sublimely melancholy moods (even if, while quite varied, it’s all of a piece – often the way with truly distinctive bands). They’re frequently compared to King Crimson, which makes perfect sense, although their countrymen Kultivator were probably an equally important influence; the main difference is that Anekdoten favour a lot more Mellotron and reduce the zeuhl and jazz elements to a minimum. The Japanese CD adds an excellent ten-minute bonus cut ‘Sad Rain’. GRADE: B.

Ram-Zet (Norway): Sapien (ViciSolum Productions VSP209CD, CD, 2026)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals), Ingvild Johannesen (violin, hardingfele)
Experimental progressive metal may not be shattering expectations as it was 15 years ago when Ram-Zet last released an album, but the genre is clearly still in rude health on this evidence. This emphatic comeback is simply remarkable, packed with twists and turns and taking in everything from the unexpected folky stylings of ‘Bozzaedevil’ to the equally unexpected psychedelia of ‘Peace25?’. The result is a fascinating and compelling trip, with the entendre definitely double. GRADE: B–.

Updated 23rd April:

Project Nayuta (Japan): Uniomisty (No label, double CD, with digipak and booklet, 2026)
Progressive
Junko Nakagawa (joint lead vocals), Mika Tsukimoto (joint lead vocals)
With 11 songs – all very accomplished but not particularly varied – over 90 minutes, this double album is clearly intended as Project Nayuta’s magnum opus. However, its sheer excess is one of the reasons I find it less compelling than their genuine impressive debut and intermittently impressive follow-up. That’s not to say that there is anything wrong with the retro-prog here, which has a pleasing seventies ambience in many moments, but when bands make a 90-minute double album one generally expects a significant artistic statement, whereas this is merely a lengthy collection of pretty good (and occasionally great) songs. GRADE: B–.

Quasar (UK): Live At Llanharan (No label, download, 2026, recorded 1984)
Progressive
Susan Robinson
The overt theatricality that would later mar Quasar’s synthy prog during the Tracy Hitchings period is already evident here during parts of ‘Irony Journey’. However, Susan Robinson doesn’t have Hitchings’s musical theatre leanings, so this is a decent representation of the band live, bolstered by more than decent sound quality. GRADE: C+.
Quasar (UK): Live At The Regent (No label, download, 2026, recorded 1984)
Progressive
Susan Robinson
Quasar’s high-tech neoprog is never likely to score higher than a C+ from me, so one can take it as read that this another solid live retrospective – well recorded, decently performed and musically entirely adequate. GRADE: C+.
Quasar (UK): Live At The Paradiso (No label, download, 2026, recorded 1989)
Progressive
Tracy Hitchings
Although their other retrospective live downloads are from 1984, this undated instalment clearly dates from 1989 due to both the stage announcements and the unmistakable presence of Tracy Hitchings. Thankfully, she’s relatively restrained here, but I use that term relatively, so this is mainly likely to be of interest to anyone hankering for a more proggy twist on Toyah. GRADE: C.

Updated 16th April:

District 97 (USA): Live For The Ending (MindScan D97-007-CD, with digital, 2025)
Progressive/Metal
Leslie Hunt (lead vocals)
The more District 97 I hear, whether studio or live, the more my opinions about them are reinforced rather than challenged. I like what they do, whilst noting that there’s relatively little variety within or between their albums. But after all this time, I’m beginning to suspect that I’m never really going to love what they do, except in fairly small doses. GRADE: C+.

Mike Johnson (USA): The Gardens Of Loss (Cuneiform Rune 521, CD, 2026)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Elaine di Falco (principal vocals)
No prizes for guessing that this is RIO, in this case with rich neoclassical textures. Those who love parent band Thinking Plague, like me, should adore this, especially as it is full of fascinating twists and turns. GRADE: B–.

Lirum Larum (Denmark): Lirum Larum (Lirum Larum LL1, with insert, 1973)
Folk
Grethe Aagaard (occasional vocals, guitar), Nina Frederiksen (occasional vocals, organ, flute, harmonica)
Most of side one consists of male-sung pub-folk singalongs of no particular merit, but things pick up with two female-fronted cuts at the end: the first acapella, the second with organ accompaniment, and both mournful and atmospheric. Sadly, side two has no such compensations, making the LP as a whole something of a curate’s egg. GRADE: C.

Mermaid Kiss (UK): Another Country (No label, download, 2012)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Evelyn Downing (lead vocals, flute), Wendy Marks (flute, recorder, oboe, cor angles, backing vocals)
The band’s final effort is progressive in a slightly different way from its predecessor, with the conceptual (I think) songs linked by brief vignettes for piano and oboe. Whilst rock elements remain, they are toned down considerably and this has more of a singer/songwriter feel, with much greater warmth and a more emotional feel than their earlier efforts. Bolstered by a superb recording, it’s a beautiful and heartfelt album that – once again – doesn’t quite have the tunes to ascend to the next level, though it certainly has the depth. GRADE: C+.

Nahla-esque (United Arab Emirates): Inscribe Me, In Three Acts (No label, download, 2026)
Metal/Progressive
Once again, I find myself longing for Nahla-esque to commit to something long-form: this is another short EP, totalling 13½ minutes. Again, it’s dynamic, aggressive and in parts quite inventive – perhaps a little lacking in variety but more than making up for it in sheer heft. GRADE: B–.

Timewinder (USA): Haven EP (No label, download, 2016)
Progressive
Ellie Gurvich (guitar)
Timewinder describe themselves as ‘post-fusion’ but whilst their chord progressions are jazzy this isn’t really jazz. Instead their wholly instrumental music, performed via dual electric guitars, bass and drums, blends elements of prog and post-rock with just a hint of metal, combining a wall-of-sound production with a somewhat minimalistic style. The results are rather interesting, though a lack of variety becomes obvious even over this 14-minute EP, making one wonder how they would fare on a full album. GRADE: C+.

Viraje (Mexico & France): Viraje (Cóndor Pasa 17-05-4655, Mexico, 1979)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Rosa Guadalupe (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, tiple)
The clear highpoints here are the two JS Bach interpretations, where the band demonstrates its mastery of a wide array of acoustic and ethnic instruments to the full. The remainder consists of pleasant songs, full of Latin American elements and with a bit of a bossa nova feel. As a footnote, the album was also released in France as Mexique/Expression Nouvelle (Playa Sound PS 602, 1980) with completely different artwork, a revised running order and (for some reason) the six-and-a-half minute ‘Adagio El Sol Minor’ removed. GRADE: C+.

Updated 9th April:

Magenta (UK): Tarot (Tigermoth TMRCDM0326, double CD plus double DVD, with gatefold minisleeve, minisleeves, autographed tarot cards, envelope and tin, 2026)
Progressive
Christina Murphy (lead vocals)
This is easily Magenta’s best album since Metamorphosis and maybe their best of all time – Rob Reed wasn’t exaggerating when he described it as ‘the most coherent and consistent Magenta album to date’. That’s partly because, as he also notes, he’s ‘a massive fan of Renaissance’ and this owes more to that band’s sound, which I love, than to Genesis, whom I don’t. I also suspect he has learned more than a few tricks from his solo career, which convinced me for the first time that he is legitimately talented. As an added bonus, this isn’t a direct pastiche of Renaissance, aside from some very Camp bass riffs but subtly references their style. That said, it’s still a C+ as Christina Murphy isn’t Annie Haslam and Reed isn’t Michael Dunford, though he is a better Mike Oldfield than Oldfield is these days. However, ultimately it’s the lack of truly memorable riffs and hooks that prevents a higher grade. Nonetheless, I rather like and slightly admire this, which is more than can be said for most of their previous work. In addition to the DVD with surround sound mixes included with all copies, the 1000-copies deluxe version includes a bonus CD with an outtake, some instrumental mixes and remixes of numbers from Songs From The Big Room plus a second DVD featuring nearly two hours of (pretty good) previously unreleased live-in-the-studio performances recorded in 2018 and 2025. GRADE: C+.

Mermaid Kiss (UK): The Mermaid Kiss Album (Flame flame20250cdUK, CD, 2003)
Folk/Rock
Evelyn Downing (lead vocals, guitar, flute, loops)
Mermaid Kiss supported Karnataka on at least one occasion and you can hear why – the haunting, ethereal music here often resembles Karnataka without the overt progressive edges. Like early-to-mid-period Karnataka, the music here is elegant, well-crafted and atmospheric, but also like Karnataka it’s a bit homogenous and unmemorable. GRADE: C+.
Mermaid Kiss (UK): Salt On Skin (No label MERM 02 CD, CD, 2006)
Folk/Rock
Kate Emerson (joint lead vocals) , Evelyn Downing (joint lead vocals, flute), Kate Belcher (joint lead vocals, flute)
Whilst in the same ethereal style as their first, this short (seven tracks in just under 30 minutes) second album is considerably more mature. Greater use of electric guitar and more pronounced rock elements deepen their sound significantly, though once again the lack of any rough edges or individually outstanding songs is notable. GRADE: C+.
Mermaid Kiss (UK): Etarlis (No label MERM 03 CD, CD, 2007)
Progressive
Evelyn Downing (principal vocals, flute), Kate Belcher (joint lead vocals,), Wendy Marks (recorder, oboe, cor anglais)
‘The songs on this album are inspired by a fantasy adventure, chronicling the journey of two friends into the disturbing and unpredictable land of Etarlis’ announce the sleeve notes. If that makes you expect full-blown prog, you’d be correct: this has an ambition and complexity missing from their first two, with the lengthy suite of music bolstered by rich orchestrations. With a few neoprogressive tinges, it still doesn’t quite make the leap to B– for me, despite the superb 10½-minute closer, but it’s a huge step forward from their rather tentative debut. GRADE: C+.

Updated 2nd April:

Nahla-esque (United Arab Emirates): Not Now (No label, download, 2025)
Metal
Nahla-esque aren’t the first band to cross Arabic music with metal, but being based in the UAE can lay claim to doing so more authentically than most. This is solid stuff – powerful, dynamic and assured – but the two songs total only 11 minutes, so it’s also a relatively modest statement of intent. GRADE: C+.

White Gloves & Party Manners (USA): A Whim-Wham To Wind The Sun Up (Deadline Recordings, CDR, 2013)
Industrial/Ambient
Sarada Holt (guitar, synthesiser, effects)
Using a variety of implements and devices, Ms Holt creates a series of soundscapes – some cacophonous and some tranquil – that are spacy and sepulchral and, well, mildly interesting. If that sounds like I’m damning her with faint praise, maybe I am: whilst I like this kind of stuff once in a while as a distraction from rock or folk, I’m not sure I could get sufficiently excited to award it anything higher than a C+. GRADE: C+.
See also Belladonna Bouquet, Sarada Holt, Tarantula Parlour

Updated 26th March:

Astralasia (UK): An Introduction To Astralasia (Fruits De Mer FDM XXXX, quadruple black CD, with gatefold minisleeve and inners, 2026)
Dance/Psychedelic
This gargantuan compilation of Astralasia and its offshoots runs for five hours and includes quite a number of rare and unreleased tracks. Musically, it’s all over the place, from spaced-out psychedelic improvisations (clearly a B–) through less interesting trance and ballads (in fair-to-middling C+ territory). Along the way, they even take in covers of ‘Johnny Remember Me’ and Brainticket’s, er, ‘Brainticket’ and ‘Places Of Light’. The good news is that the best numbers tend to be the longest – as good jams usually are. GRADE: B–.

Foxpockets (UK): The Coracle And The Albatross (Reverb Worship RW144, CDR, with minisleeve, 2011)
Folk
Katharine Simner, Jennifer Schamotta
This 25-minute EP offers traditional-sounding folk (though the songs appear to be originals) with all-acoustic arrangements. So far, so conventional, but there’s a faintly eerie edge to the band’s sound that makes this distinctive. We’re not exactly in ‘Wicker Man’ territory here, but this is intriguing enough I’d have rated it a B– if it had included one or two songs with unforgettable melodies or riffs. GRADE: C+.
Foxpockets (UK): Hope Can Make Feeble Ones Earnest And Brave/Live EP (Reverb Worship RW 253, CDR plus 3” CDR, with minisleeve and inserts, 2014)
Folk

Katharine Simner (lead vocals, spoons), Jennifer Schamotta (harp, pipe, backing vocals)
As with their first, this is both haunting and beautifully crafted, again with well-judged and sparse instrumentation, but their sound is a mite too traditional for me to love rather than like it. Nonetheless, at its best – as on ‘Mess Of Feathers’ and ‘Drag The Forest Down’ – this is delightful. The first 20 copies (of 60 in total) came with a bonus 3” disc featuring three lo-fi live songs totalling nine minutes. GRADE: C+.

Therion (Sweden/USA/Spain/Finland/Mexico): Con Orquesta (Napalm NPR1303DP, Blu-ray plus DVD and double CD, Austria, 2026)
Metal/Progressive
Lori Lewis (joint lead vocals), Rosalia Sairem (joint lead vocals)
Therion in concert with a full orchestra (conducted by James Cleverly’s doppelgänger, possibly seeking a new career outside politics) seems like a marriage made in heaven. However, though this was clearly a stunning gig, there are two problems. The first is the whole is so over-the-top as to be Spïnal Tap-esque, not helped by male singer Thomas Vikström dressing like Kenny Everett’s Sid Snot. The second is that the whole thing underlines Therion’s lack of artistic development since Vovin, with everything being almost indistinguishable. GRADE: B–.

Updated 19th March:

Corima (USA): Hunab Ku (Soleil Zeuhl 63, CD, France, 2026)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Andrea Calderón (principal vocals, violin)
Whether this is a landmark of avant-prog like Amaterasu is debatable. Whether it is a superb zeuhl album – a continuous suite of dynamic, powerful, constantly surprising music – is not. Executed with verve and delivered with power and fury, this is another remarkable addition to the zeuhl canon – and from the USA, of all places. GRADE: B–.

Deep Freeze Mice (UK): Luton Conversation: Rare Tracks From The Teenage Head In My Refrigerator Period (No label, download, 2013, recorded 1980-1981)

Sherree Lawrence
This grab-bag of oddities and offcuts, running for nearly an hour, is thoroughly enjoyable, ranging from live and rehearsal versions of familiar songs to a 20-minute ‘Guerrilla Recording’ at Leicester Polytechnic which sounds like the Grateful Dead’s ‘rhythm devils’. As such, my grade of C+ may be a bit mean, as there’s plenty of interest here. GRADE: C+.

Solstice (UK): Clann: The Stables Gathering (Wild Thyme WLTH007, double, orange vinyl, 2026)
Progressive
Jess Holland (principal vocals), Ebony Buckle (occasional vocals), Dyane Crutcher (occasional vocals), Jenny Newman (violin)
Solstice’s second post-Clann live album confused me: I originally thought this was a physical release of last year’s download. In fact, it’s a completely separate set, albeit with a strikingly similar track listing. That’s probably a metaphor for the music within, as whilst this is unfailingly pleasant it ultimately sounds like any other recent Solstice release. Oddly, the vinyl and CD versions have different track listings, with the former featuring two songs not on the latter and the latter one not on the former; the Bandcamp download version has everything, running for 90 minutes. GRADE: C+.

Updated 12th March:

Stormy Six (Italy/UK): Macchina Maccheronica (L’Orchestra OLPS 55009, with booklet, 1980)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Georgie Born (cello)
Some albums transcend language barriers whilst others don’t: the admittedly fascinating Macchina Maccheronica belongs in the second category. This Italian band pioneered Rock In Opposition during the seventies, issuing a string of albums (though this was the only one with Henry Cow alumna Georgie Born in the line-up), and here their sound blends Brechtian elements with Italian folk styles, chamber music, some circus-like elements and a few (fairly restrained) avant-rock edges. The end results are very interesting, but I suspect one would need some command of Italian to appreciate this to the full. GRADE: B–.
See also Lindsay Cooper, Feminist Improvising Group, Henry Cow, Officer!, Mike Westbrook Orchestra

Uffington Horse (USA): Enchantment (Sea Fire Productions SFP 0409, CD, with poster booklet, 2004)
Folk/Rock
Heather Alexander (lead vocals, guitar, violin)
This electric folk album features excellent original material by Heather Alexander and lively, if not particularly varied, arrangements. The relative narrowness of the band’s style becomes obvious over 14 songs and nearly 66 minutes, but there’s enough good stuff here to get it over the line to a B–. Ms Alexander made a number of solo albums, which I have not encountered. GRADE: B–.

Various (Greece): I Pop Stin Athína – Zontanoí Sto K‎ýttaro (Zodiac SYZP 89023, LP plus 7", 1971)

Rock/Progressive

Stella Gadedi & Bourmpoulia, Despina Glezou

This compilation of supposedly live tracks (though the audience sounds overdubbed to me) features two excellent garage pop numbers from former Nostradmos member Despina Glezou. Meanwhile, Stella Gadedi & Boumpoulia offer nearly ten minutes of experimental prog, led by Gadedi’s occasional wordless vocals and eloquent flute playing. Among the non-female acts, Damon & Phidias deliver two pleasant contemporary folk songs and Exadaktylos offer a jazzy prog jam with spoken vocals (very vague reference points might include Catapilla and a sort of Greek version of Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes) and a straighter bluesy number. Finally, the best-known act here, Socrates Drank The Conium, provide a ten-minute blues jam covered in stinging fuzz guitar. GRADE: B–.

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