David Cross Band: Ice Blue, Silver Sky

With foreboding synth voices introducing the album there’s an air of the epic and mysterious about Ice Blue, Silver Sky right from the off, this latest album from the David Cross Band then surprising by bursting into an almost progressive metal romp. Admittedly, there’s a two minute spoken word/ambient section separating the two elements, but thankfully in a way that builds the tension and makes the grating guitars from Jinian Wilde even more effective. Wilde also provides excellent vocals here, almost grabbing the limelight from David Cross himself, this veteran musician, of course, best known for his contribution to some of the most revered music in the King Crimson catalogue. As you would therefore expect, even the spoken word section features some violin, but it’s this willingness to relinquish top spot more often than not that really marks Cross out as the consummate band leader.

Not too surprisingly, that ebullient beginning doesn’t stick around beyond that first track - although it would have been cool if it had - a more restrained but no less crafted “Calamity� smooth beguiling and suggesting a connection to reggae in its rhythms and guitar strikes. The CD packaging doesn’t reveal production credits, but I guess Cross handled that side of things and a pretty fantastic job he’s done too - the balance and clarity impressive in its excellence as “Nowhere� ebbs and flows like a floating, lost member of the King Crimson canon. Something leant on more strongly for “Exiles�, which is of course a Crimson cover, although a thoroughly reworked one that possesses a different mood, tone, attack and well, pretty much everything from the original. With the strength of the newly penned material, I’m not sure we needed one (well, two) Crimson covers, but this string laden and violin led piece is beautiful nonetheless.

The album’s penchant for spoken/ambient/scene setting introductions in the wrong hands could have been a distraction but here, with all the tracks featuring some sort of ear snagging aside, they add atmosphere and grounding. “Karma Gun� and its layered backing vocals takes me into early Pure Reason Revolution territory (definitely a good thing) and here the spoken sections have a Roger Waters like impact. “Over Your Shoulder� adds more pensive propulsion to proceedings, but it’s the second King Crimson reworking that closes things out - “Starless� again reimagined quite wonderfully and to no less effect.

The variety and yet cohesiveness on show across Ice Blue, Silver Sky is what makes it a captivating experience from start to finish. I could be churlish and complain that we really didn’t need yet another couple of King Crimson reinterpretations but there’s no doubt that both fit into this album’s ethos and intention quite wonderfully. Followers of the David Cross Band and Cross himself will not be disappointed.

Track Listing
1. Nurse Insane
2. Calamity
3. Nowhere
4. Exiles
5. Karma Gain
6. Over Your Shoulder
7 Starless

Added: April 16th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: David Cross @ Cherry Red
Hits: 819
Language: english

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