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░ ██ ██ Artist: Thieves' Kitchen ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Clockwork Universe █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-04-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: The Merch Desk ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Thieves' Kitchen, a trio of Phil Mercy, Amy █
█ Darby, and Thomas Johanson (ex-Anglagard), with █
█ adjunct members Anna Holmgren (Anglagard), Johan █
█ Brand (Anglagard) and Paul Mallyon (ex-Sanguine █
█ Hum), have created a collection of meticulously █
█ crafted and expertly performed songs in the vein █
█ of the most complex Canterbury scene and symphonic █
█ Yes demanding the highest degrees of difficulty █
█ from its musicians. Vocalist Amy Darby's stylings █
█ are similar to the palette-clearing effects of a █
█ superlative red wine--the backbone upon which each █
█ song rests, despite the fact that it is a "lead" █
█ instrument. She could be singing about chainsaw █
█ massacres but it would feel like walks on the soft █
█ floor of a pine forest to me. █
█ 1. "The Library Song" (6:47) is a jazzy █
█ exploration held strong and fast by Amy's solid █
█ vocal--which is oddly mirrored by the lead guitar. █
█ Great keyboard play from Thomas Johanson █
█ throughout but Paul Mallyon's drumming and Johan █
█ Brand's bass play are stellar! (9/10) █
█ 2. "Railway Time" (7:38) begins with quite a █
█ "smokey lounge" bluesy keyboard and guitar duet █
█ before evolving into a bass-anchored expose for █
█ Amy's most diverse and adventurous vocal of the █
█ album (less sustained notes, more scatting around █
█ the scales). Nice shift away from the blues █
█ foundation after the mid-song flute solo. The most █
█ accessible song I've ever heard from TK and my █
█ favorite melody of theirs. (10/10) █
█ 3. "Astrolabe" (3:17) is a slow duet that puts the █
█ wonderful sympathy of guitarist and founding band █
█ member Phil Mercy and pianist Thomas Johnson on █
█ full display. (9/10) █
█ 4. "Prodigy" (9:07) is full-scale prog song █
█ construction on display (a la 1970s YES) with the █
█ absolute highest caliber musicianship possible. █
█ Classic! (10/10) █
█ 5. "The Scientist's Wife" (19:58) An obvious █
█ attempt at the more sophisticated Canterbury █
█ sound, this is my least favorite song on the █
█ album--and it's still an 8 out of 10! The █
█ five-minute opening instrumental section is quite █
█ impressive for the excellent play of its █
█ interwoven parts--not unlike a KING CRIMSON █
█ "Discipline" display--but it then mysteriously █
█ disappears in order to give way to a soft acoustic █
█ guitar foundation behind Amy's storytelling. A █
█ pleasant enough section blessed with Amy's █
█ crystalline vocal warmth, but then, though the █
█ song builds layers around and with Amy's story █
█ line, the song never seems to take off and █
█ fly--and feels much the homogenous single movement █
█ of what is promised to be a Yes symphony. █
█ Impeccable performances on what feels like an █
█ under-developed song. A lot of unrealized █
█ potential. (8/10) █
█ 6. "Orrery" (4:41) is another slowed down, scaled █
█ down song of mostly gentle piano play, though █
█ Thomas's work is beautifully embellished by █
█ ethereal flutes, intermittent guitar and bass █
█ flourishes and Mellotron, no drums. On a par with █
█ Francesco Zago's EMPTY DAYS work of 2013. (9/10) █
█ Stellar musicianship, remarkable sound engineering █
█ (instrumental clarity), and quite beautifully █
█ sophisticated compositions that impress and █
█ engage. Like Anglagard albums, this one has taken █
█ several listens for the songs to start to weave █
█ their way into my psyche, into my heart. So, I █
█ recommend that you give this one some time. If you █
█ do, you'll be very, very thankful. An incredibly █
█ well-polished masterpiece from a dedicated and █
█ deserving group of musicians. Definitely a Top 20 █
█ Album of 2015! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Library Song 6:47 ░
░ 2. Railway Time 7:39 ░
░ 3. Astrolabe 3:17 ░
░ 4. Prodigy 9:07 ░
░ 5. The Scientist's Wife 19:58 ░
░ 6. Orrery 4:41 ░
░ 51:29 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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