Dreaming Tree, The: Silverfade

I first heard UK's The Dreaming Tree in 2010 with their third effort Progress Has No Patience which was a fine album and earned a recommended tag. Well, the band is back with their fourth full length release Silverfade which I like even more.

The lineup is almost the same since the last album with the exception of bassist Neil Simpson replacing Jim Peterson. The rest of the players are Chris Buckler (vocals), Dan Jones (guitars, backing vocals), Neil Ablard (drums) and Steve Barratt (keyboards).

Whether Silverfade should be labeled as progressive rock is up to debate although there are certainly progressive touches throughout the disc; changes in tempo, various thematic shifts and of course excellent musicianship. The music is very catchy and right from the first listen I was hooked.

The album's first track, "Yesterday's Tomorrows", begins with lonely piano notes until the drums and guitar start to build erupting into textured guitar chords and Buckler's sublime lead vocals. His voice is smooth in tone and timbre and just very pleasing to listen to. "Heart Shaped Bruises" is another up-tempo number, very fresh sounding with catchy keyboards brimming beneath the surface and a great drum/bass groove. This one vaguely hints of modern day Rush as the music ventures from mellow soundscapes to heavier passages including some ripping lead guitar. "Yours to Find" is another catchy morsel of progressive tinged alternative rock with clean guitar rhythms twisting into heavy grunge-like riffs. On "Cherry Winters" the band goes for a sophisticated jazzier pop sound while the retro heavy rock of "Autumn Haze" invokes a Deep Purple sound. On "Higgs" Rush and Saga meet head on creating another pleasingly melodic four minute musical ride. On the hard rocking "Every Minute Lost" the all to brief female backing vocals carry a nod to Pink Floyd

One of the best tracks is the adventurous"Forever Not Forever" starting with a soft guitar motif and atmospheric keyboards before heavier guitar and keys grip the listener and doesn't let go. The heavier parts remind me of Rush while the softer moodier bits have a Pink Floyd vibe. The clean guitar work is as tasty as it gets.

The bottom line: Silverfade is a great disc that is not afraid to cross different genres and styles while still maintaining a cohesive sound that the band has forged through the years. I happen to love it and recommend it to all like-minded fans of intelligently played rock music.

Track Listing:
1. Yesterday's Tomorrow
2. Heart Shaped Bruises
3. Yours To Find
4. Forever Not Forever
5. Cherry Winters
6. Autumn Haze
7. Higgs
8. Jaded Summer Long
9. Every Minute Lost
10. Loose It Off
11. Song In 7
12. The Ocean
13. Kosovo
14. Zero To Type One

Added: August 27th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 2123
Language: english

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