Bowness, Tim: Butterfly Mind

Can there be a more consistent performer in the vast spectrum of artists/bands that operate under the umbrella of Progressive Rock?

Be it solo or with No-Man, the latter with the ubiquitous Steven Wilson, the quality of the man`s work never seems to dip, and with this his latest solo venture with long time collaborator Brian Hulse on board he`s showing no signs of this trend stopping or even slowing down.

11 hauntingly beautiful tracks that touched on my emotions at different levels. `Say Your Goodbyes` that starts and finishes the album has a starkness at its heart with at times an unnerving quality too.

`Always the Stranger` has flavours of early Porcupine Tree when that particular band were very much into soundscapes, and the vocals from Bowness hint at David Bowie in his more melancholic moments.

The vocals throughout are half spoken/sung which have throughout Tim`s career been a selling point...well certainly for me anyway.` It's Easier to Love`, takes on an ambient Jazz vibe, which once more bought comparisons to Bowie to the fore. `We Feel` and `Lost Player` are both cunningly understated numbers before `Only a Fool` takes a step up with a sprightly dance rhythm which acts as somewhat as a palette cleanser for the final triptych of `Glitter Fades`,` About the Light That Hits the Forest Floor`, and `Dark Nevada Dream` that tell you all you need to know as to why Bowness is much revered in the Prog world, they are all quite stunning in their seemingly effortless simplicity.

An album that sees once again Bowness developing his musical landscapes and this just might be his most accomplished album to date, yes, its moody, atmospheric, melancholic yet strangely a quite beautiful uplifting record. This comes with my highest recommendation.

Track Listing
1. Say Your Goodbyes, Pt. 1 (2:22)
2. Always the Stranger (2:50)
3. It's Easier to Love (5:13)
4. We Feel (4:53)
5. Lost Player (3:13)
6. Only a Fool (4:33)
7. After the Stranger (1:15)
8. Glitter Fades (4:50)
9. About the Light That Hits the Forest Floor (3:49)
10. Dark Nevada Dream (8:26)
11. Say Your Goodbyes, Pt. 2 (1:59)

Added: July 21st 2022
Reviewer: Malcolm Smith
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 502
Language: english

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