Label: Basement Avatar Records
Xander had produced three lengthy compositions but
included no vocals with the initial recordings, recordings that were inspired
by such luminaries as Mike Oldfield, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and Genesis.
Late in 2011, the band, Proud Peasant, finally came into being. The band is a
four piece comprising, Zander (electric/acoustic guitars, mandolin, ukulele,
melodica, glockenspiel and percussion), Jay Allen (keyboards and piano), David
Hobizal (drums) and Kyle Robage (bass and fretless/acoustic bass). Mark Poitras
(keyboards, guitars, bells) has joined the band for live shows and the
recording of the next album. Also
appearing on the album, Flight, are
several guest musicians playing, strings, brass and woodwind instruments, as
well as three soloists and The Proud Peasant Choir.
Flight is
a three track album with a running time of around 45 minutes with the opening
track, “The Prisoner,” the shortest track, but still 12:28 minutes in length.
The longest track on offer is track two, “Awakenings” which stops the clock
just shy of 20 minutes (19:34).
The opening track of the trio on offer on Flight is, “The Prisoner” (12:28) and it
starts with an exquisite acoustic guitar passage heralding the track in, before
other instruments join in. There is a thudding drumbeat and then around the
1:30 minute mark the sound starts to really build. Superb guitar and keyboards
carry the song along when an electric guitar meanders in and out before the
sound gets stripped back to the drums and acoustic guitar. More insistent
drumming then heralds in the next part of the track, with synths and a stunning
electric guitar playing in a dreamlike manner. The sound builds again with the
other instruments appearing, and then around 5 minutes, there is a gentle synth
and mandolin passage as the song continues to flow effortlessly. An almost
pastoral sound has built up before a more insistent synth lends a hand. Around
the 7 minute mark, the track changes completely with the introduction of some
of the brass instruments, backed by some “military” style drumming and a
passage of plucked violin leads into a plaintive trumpet theme. This scenario
calls to mind the sort of Mexican scrublands epitomized in those classic Clint
Eastwood westerns. There is then a return, behind the trumpet theme, of the earlier
themes as the track moves on its way towards its 12:28 minute finale. “The
Prisoner” is an excellent starting track which leads onto track 2, “Awakenings,”
with the sort of voices heard in a mythical tale. As the track fades, the last
thing that is heard is “I now present you with the Keys to the Kingdom.”
“Awakenings” (19:33) has a gentle guitar intro quickly
joined by a superb “church” style organ with a simple synth passage
highlighting the melody. The track then dives into a Russian “Cossack” style
dance section which then repeats, with the gentle opening melody flitting
between. This track has such swings in the opening few minutes that the
attention of the listener is well and truly drawn in. A pastoral passage enters
around the 4 minute mark and continues to build before entering a much faster
guitar led passage. A passage with what sounds like a deliberately de-tuned
guitar/synth moves the track into a more majestic sounding phase. Around the
10:30 minute mark the brass section makes another appearance with a dreamy
melody backed by a glockenspiel (?), which then evolves into a very jazzy
piece. A short instrumental solo by a rarity in a prog recording, the ukulele,
leads the track into an ethereal female choir with the lower male voices
entering before the instruments edge themselves back into the track and move it
towards its finale. There is some wonderful synth passages within the outro
prior to the sound being stripped back to allow a gentle ending.
The final track on Flight,
“The Precipice” (13:20) arrives with an insistent drumbeat and bass riff before
the guitar and synth provide a melody over the top. This is repeated before the
guitar and synth begin to soar and take the track to new heights. There follows
an exquisite passage featuring the flute which moves the track along, allowing
the listener to let their mind meander through the atmospheric soundscapes that
Proud Peasant generate. The majestic sound builds with guitar and choir and
then becomes more pastoral again flowing seamlessly along led by keyboards and
then the choir re-enters as the track moves to its finale.
I always feel that instrumental albums can tread a very
precarious path between the superb atmospheric entity that they set out to be
and the “dark side,” when the listener craves for the entry of some vocals to
lift the album. Proud Peasant can rest easy with Flight, which draws the listener in at the start and keeps the
interest until the dying echoes fade away. A quote on the album insert sums it
up eloquently, “the soundtrack to sublime dreams and wicked nightmares.”
Flight is
a stunning debut album that deserves a space on many peoples’ CD shelves and
another nugget gleaned from the booklet included, mentions that the follow-up
album, Communion, seems to be already
underway.
4.5/5 Stars
Key
Track: The Prisoner
Tracks:
The Prisoner
a) The Illusion I (The Chamber)
b) The Dream
c) The Fairy Forest
d) The Illusion II (Keys To The Kingdom)
Awakenings
a) The Avatar
b) Starchild
c) Ice Castles
d) Salamandrina
e) The Dancing Bear
f) Ascension
g) The Jester King
The Precipice
a) The Gauntlet
b) Threnody For the Forlorn
c) Entr’acte
d) Stardock
e) The Illusion III (Hypnogogia)
f) The Agathokakalogical Chasm
Tracks:
The Prisoner
a) The Illusion I (The Chamber)
b) The Dream
c) The Fairy Forest
d) The Illusion II (Keys To The Kingdom)
Awakenings
a) The Avatar
b) Starchild
c) Ice Castles
d) Salamandrina
e) The Dancing Bear
f) Ascension
g) The Jester King
The Precipice
a) The Gauntlet
b) Threnody For the Forlorn
c) Entr’acte
d) Stardock
e) The Illusion III (Hypnogogia)
f) The Agathokakalogical Chasm
Review
Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk
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