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░ ██ ██ Artist: Tony Patterson & Brendan Eyre ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Northlands █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-05-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Esoteric Antenna ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ 2014 was an impressive year turning in numerous █
█ fine albums, not least was the late November █
█ Northlands release from Tony Patterson & Brendan █
█ Eyre. The CD arrived in early December and from █
█ the very outset resonated with me, whether or not █
█ this was down to the tranquil and absorbing nature █
█ of the album and how it formed a perfect foil to █
█ the hustle and bustle of the impending festive █
█ season, IÆm unsure. What I am sure of is that █
█ Northlands has been a close companion on many an █
█ evening since, forming the perfect end to the day. █
█ Being a North Eastener myself the background █
█ concept added to overall enjoyment and being able █
█ to relate to the surroundings of the album, █
█ superbly captured through the photographic work of █
█ Howie White, was an added bonus. Northbound █
█ serenely washes over the listener and although █
█ personally drawn to images of North East █
█ coastline, you could easily add your own personal █
█ backdrop to the music. █
█ The press surrounding the Northlands project makes █
█ note of the musical backgrounds of the two █
█ principal members and their present and previous █
█ musical output. Multi-instrumentalist Tony █
█ Patterson for his work with both Re-Genesis and So █
█ Gabriel, which I mention early on in this review █
█ as there is little of the aforementioned to be █
█ found on this release. TonyÆs other work as a █
█ composer for film and television is however much █
█ more poignant. Keyboard man Brendan Eyre released █
█ an aptly titled instrumental album Ghost Ships █
█ (2005) and was of course the other half of █
█ Riversea who released the well received and █
█ extremely enjoyable Ancient Earth (2012). Although █
█ references to that album can be detected they are █
█ relatively fleeting. █
█ Predominately instrumental, Northlands is an █
█ evocative and above all, atmospheric album, and it █
█ is that peaceful ambient aura which so sets the █
█ music aside. A feature throughout is BrendanÆs █
█ spacious piano, here opening the proceedings, █
█ gradually being enveloped in gentle layers of █
█ strings and as the flute timbres and Celtic lilt █
█ appear I was initially drawn to thoughts of █
█ CamelÆs wonderful Harbour Of Tears (1996), and █
█ although those thoughts did reoccur fleetingly █
█ throughout, Northbound travels a more cinematic █
█ journey. █
█ Circa four minutes in and as a prelude to the █
█ first of the vocal sections, the tempo heightens, █
█ with the carefully chosen string sounds and choirs █
█ continuing to embellish. TonyÆs dulcet voice, here █
█ perhaps reminiscent of Tim Bowness, immediately █
█ stamps a classy sheen to the already engrossing █
█ journey. The pastoral Homeward Bound is nicely █
█ augmented by layers of breathy backing vocals, █
█ before segueing into the next impressive vocal █
█ section and here the music is reminiscent of the █
█ excellent Jakko Jakszyk ?û The Bruised Romantic █
█ Glee Club (2006). █
█ Perhaps a note here to treat these and any █
█ subsequent references to other artists as sign █
█ posts and no moreà █
█ Just passed the halfway mark and the tranquillity █
█ of Northbound is briefly disturbed with the sounds █
█ of a barrel organ, disappearing as quickly as it █
█ arrived, replaced, again briefly, by some █
█ effortlessly floating flute akin to Jade Warrior. █
█ In turn as the flute fades the rippling 12 string █
█ guitar takes us into pastoral Genesis territory, █
█ albeit densely arranged with layers of delicate █
█ background vocals. █
█ And for fear of repeating myself the Northbound █
█ journey continues with numerous delightful musical █
█ moments, notably the Nick Magnus arrangement on █
█ Three Rivers (Reprise) which closes the track as █
█ is started with a recapping of the opening theme. █
█ A thoroughly bold move to open a debut album with █
█ a twenty four minute track, especially as █
█ Northbound isnÆt a typical (if such a thing █
█ exists) epic, but rather sticks to its meandering █
█ path. ItÆs not Close To The Edge, but there again █
█ it isnÆt trying to be. Wonderful stuffà █
█ Now if this album were on vinyl we would now be █
█ flipping it over to see what Side B might reveal û █
█ and so what of the remaining tracks? █
█ The Northlands Rhapsody would have sat very █
█ comfortably within the Northbound suite, a █
█ wonderful orchestrated piece of cinematic beauty. █
█ A Picture In Time also retains a strong film █
█ notion, albeit this time around, with a haunting █
█ backdrop, wonderfully captured by Carrie █
█ MelbourneÆs wordless vocal melody. The middle █
█ section becomes increasingly more emotional as the █
█ track builds to a climax before once again █
█ descending into the tranquillity of the voice. █
█ The all too brief And The River Flows is a █
█ heartfelt tune reliant on BrendanÆs ever present █
█ piano and TonyÆs arching vocal. Simple, but █
█ perhaps not so simple? █
█ Now not an album you might envisage as having a █
█ single option, however the lazy A Rainy Day On █
█ Dean Street could be it. A classy track that █
█ brings another North Easterner to mind and I feel █
█ sure Sting would have been fairly pleased to have █
█ written this song, especially in light of his █
█ recent homage to his roots, The Last Ship. Tony █
█ Patterson croons, Doug Melbourne adds some nifty █
█ jazzy piano, and colourful Northern musician Fred █
█ Arlington produces the icing on the cake with his █
█ airy saxophone. █
█ Legacy is a moment in time captured for █
█ prosperity. Any heritage of North East would not █
█ be complete without reference to the steam train. █
█ One cue, the puffing beast enters and once again █
█ Messrs Patterson & Eyre display their ability to █
█ interpret. The pulse of the engine is mimicked by █
█ the metronomic piano. Again the subtle layers of █
█ voices work tremendously well as the piece expands █
█ and develops. With John Hackett on fluteà sublime. █
█ I Dare To Dream is a perfect companion to A Rainy █
█ Day On Dean Street. Less emphasis on the jazzy █
█ notions but once again Tony Patterson displays his █
█ vocal prowess as the track grooves along and once █
█ again the befitting dreamy saxophone. █
█ The albumÆs most proggy moment comes from the █
█ Barclay James Harvest mould and So Long The Day, █
█ is NorthlandÆs ôpower balladö. TonyÆs vocal █
█ delivery and phrasing reveals why he is so █
█ respected for his renditions of Peter Gabriel █
█ vocals, whereas the outro solo is taken up by a █
█ signature Steve Hackett melodic solo. █
█ Side stepping slightly here and apologies for this █
█ comment during this review, but a minor gripe for █
█ me, is how much store is placed on having guest █
█ musicians appear on an album, presumably to add █
█ credibility and bolster sales. IÆm not entirely █
█ sure this works? This said, it should be noted █
█ that Tony Patterson has a long history with the █
█ Hackett siblings and also Nick Magnus û and TonyÆs █
█ contribution to the splendid nÆmonix album, from █
█ last year, being a prime example. So here it seems █
█ appropriate that he has called in these players. █
█ Whilst on the subject, kudos to those unnamed █
█ musicians who have contributed and greatly added █
█ to this album. █
█ Northlands comes to rest with a delicate solo █
█ piano piece from Brendan with only seagulls as an █
█ accompaniment. A beautiful and fitting endà █
█ As mentioned at the beginning of this review █
█ Northlands is an album that struck the right chord █
█ from the very outset. IÆve not tired from █
█ listening to this release and each time I have █
█ returned to it, it has revealed greater depths. An █
█ engaging album that is full of beauty and charm. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ At the end of 2012 Tony Patterson and Brendan Eyre █
█ met to discuss a project focussing on their native █
█ North East of England. That project became the █
█ Northlands album we now have before us. Tony █
█ Patterson is the singer with Genesis tribute act █
█ Re-Genesis, but thankfully for the most part here █
█ he keeps the Garbrielisms at bay and has a dreamy █
█ and beguiling voice all his own. The exception is █
█ So Long The Day where he sounds more like Mr G █
█ than the man himself in places. Brendan Eyre is a █
█ well-respected musician in the UK prog community, █
█ perhaps best known for his work with Riversea and █
█ Nick Magnus, who is one of the long list of guest █
█ musicians on this album. █
█ It is always helpful for the reader to have a █
█ reviewer make comparisons if he or she has not █
█ heard a particular band or album, and a handy if █
█ glib example is that from track three onwards █
█ Northlands comes over a soundtrack to a dream, a █
█ kind of precursor to the more menacing and, yes, █
█ nightmarish epic sweeps of GazpachoÆs grandiose █
█ constructs. Northlands is The Hobbit to GazpachoÆs █
█ DemonÆs Lord of the Rings, if you will. █
█ You will note I say ôfrom track threeö, and that █
█ is because despite playing it many times the █
█ lengthy album curtain-raiser Northbound is just █
█ not doing anything for me. Any piece of music over █
█ ten minutes long has to have something in there █
█ that makes the listener want to go back again, be █
█ it a repeated refrain, or a commanding theme, or █
█ that the lyrics tell an interesting and engaging █
█ story, or that the music is constantly developing. █
█ It does not have to be complex, for in the █
█ progwelt that can be as much for its own sake as █
█ anything else in a Dream Theater soulless ôlook at █
█ us, arenÆt we cleverö fashion. █
█ Unfortunately Northbound has little of the above █
█ to commend it. ItÆs entirely inoffensive, █
█ obviously well played, but from a musical █
█ perspective it promises much without really ever █
█ delivering. A series of tantalising introductions █
█ that never quite resolve into anything █
█ substantial, Northbound consists of compositional █
█ sections containing simple melodies and chord █
█ structures in barely changing tempos that meander █
█ on pleasantly enough but to little effect. From █
█ the section I Recall onwards, a very Genesis-like █
█ nostalgic song remembering the dreaming shores, I █
█ find myself losing interest. The section that █
█ follows, The Crossing, is typical of the whole █
█ track in that it takes way too long to go hardly █
█ anywhere at all. Again, it is pleasant enough, █
█ perhaps too much so, for if you heard it in a █
█ shopping mall you wouldnÆt be overly surprised. I █
█ can only conclude that Northbound is a classic █
█ case of a prog track being long for the sake of █
█ it. Had it been edited by at least half then the █
█ many piano flourishes, occasional guitar █
█ interludes and general atmospherics would have █
█ worked far better. █
█ The story in the lyrics, of a man returning to his █
█ homeland after a long time away, and all the █
█ trials and tribulations that entails takes up only █
█ a relatively small part of the piece, and could █
█ have been developed further. This leaves the █
█ instrumental sections to hold my interest on their █
█ own merits, which IÆm afraid they donÆt, for me at █
█ least, suffering as they do from their barely █
█ changing dynamics. Following Northbound is The █
█ Northlands Rhapsody that has more of interest in █
█ its less than 150 seconds than much of the █
█ preceding 24 minutes. Opening with a languorous █
█ flugelhorn followed by flute in the round, a brief █
█ sunrise of music heralds what is to come, for the █
█ rest of the album is a delightful stroll through █
█ melancholy tinged with regret, ending with hope of █
█ redemption. █
█ Cinematic vistas created in grand instrumental █
█ sweeps give glimpses of sepia-tinged times past, █
█ then a river flows as metaphor for a journey █
█ through time, and suddenly we arrive in the █
█ capital. Anyone who knows Dean Street and has seen █
█ it on a rainy day will be transported back to its █
█ slightly different beat, all lazily world weary █
█ and finger-poppinÆ with a touch of the █
█ devil-may-care. A Rainy Day On Dean Street is the █
█ best song on the album simply because it lifts the █
█ album towards a slightly animated version of █
█ introspection, and sounds more rounded, human █
█ even, as a result. Quite evocative, it has to be █
█ said. █
█ It seems to me that the true sound of Patterson & █
█ Eyre lay not with the somewhat laboured prog █
█ stylings of Northbound, but in a melding of an █
█ emotive Blue Nile-styled post-rock infused with a █
█ very light-touch jazzy sensibility and the █
█ occasional symphonic denouement. This shines █
█ through on the simple and rhythmically repetitive █
█ but this time effective Legacy, a tune that at a █
█ touch under five minutes is exactly as long as it █
█ needs to be, no more, no less. █
█ The only track IÆm not too enamoured with, █
█ post-Northbound is the aforementioned So Long The █
█ Day where the gentle atmospherics established █
█ throughout the record are somewhat disturbed by a █
█ large dose of unnecessarily histrionic geetar █
█ squawking from Steve Hackett that is stylistically █
█ out of synch with the rest of the album, albeit █
█ and perhaps pointedly mixed fairly low in the █
█ soundstage. A case of getting a ônameö guest in, █
█ regardless of whether his contribution really fits █
█ the project in hand, methinks. █
█ Northlands plays out on the lovely solo piano █
█ piece A Sense Of Place which fades away to the █
█ sound of seagulls and a gentle sea tide lapping █
█ the beach, as if to underline the essentially █
█ English nature of this record. █
█ Definitely an album of two halves, and suffice to █
█ say IÆve made a playlist with Northbound at the █
█ end where it seems to fit better. When they keep █
█ their songs to reasonable lengths Patterson & Eyre █
█ show that they are capable of creating some good █
█ mood music that goes beyond the morose ôwoe is meö █
█ of so much of modern prog of the heavier kind. █
█ Northlands is a decent album , but for me it does █
█ not live up to the vaunting praise I have read █
█ elsewhere, but you probably guessed that already. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Northbound (Three Rivers/Time & 24:03 ░
░ Tide/Homeward Bound/Take the Safe Way/I ░
░ Recall/The Crossing/Three Rivers ░
░ (Reprise)) ░
░ 2. The Northlands Rhapsody 2:23 ░
░ 3. A Picture in Time 5:59 ░
░ 4. And the River Flows 2:50 ░
░ 5. A Rainy on Dean Street 4:37 ░
░ 6. Legacy 4:52 ░
░ 7. I Dare to Dream 5:24 ░
░ 8. So Long the Day 6:31 ░
░ 9. A Sense of Place 2:08 ░
░ 58:47 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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