Thompson, Allister: Shadowlands

Singer /songwriter/ guitarist Allister Thompson has long been a mainstay on the Toronto indie music scene. In the mid 90's he was active in a band called Sleepwalker's Union, as well he was also an original member of 70's glam rock band Crash Kelly. After parting ways with Kelly, Thompson decided it was time to fully concentrate on his own music and resume a solo career which began with his 2006 independent release Infinities. His latest album Shadowlands finds him returning to his first love, which is 70's influenced folk and progressive rock.

The most appealing aspect of Shadowlands is how effortlessly Thompson takes little dabs of various different musical styles and subtly weaves them all together over the course of these nine well crafted compositions. The mood throughout is relaxed and laid back as many of the songs find the emphasis placed on dreamy, acoustic guitar based passages and the warm, inviting timbre of his vocals. One can detect a distinct Fairport Convention influence in songs such as "Soldier", and the melancholic sounding fiddle and guitar work on "The Drowned Girl". While his ex-band mates Sean Kelly and Gene Scarpelli show up for a bit of a bluesy workout on "The Demon Wife". The progressive elements are discreetly peppered throughout the album but become more prominent on the final two songs. "Where Will You Go?" another strong acoustic based track which is set against the layered tapestries of what certainly sounds like a mellotron. However the real surprise on Shadowlands is saved for last. "Altai" is an epic nine minute, instrumental composition which demonstrates that while Thompson's roots may lie primarily in acoustic based folk, he's also absorbed the krautrock influence of say early Tangerine Dream as well. The ice cold, jagged electric guitar solos mesh perfectly with 70's infused synth washes and sporadic cymbal splashes. I think this track not only stands out from the rest of the album (in a good way) but it's also the strongest track here hands down, just for the overall dark and psychedelic mood it conveys.

If you like acoustic folk with slight progressive overtones then I'm sure you'll find that Shadowlands is a pretty solid effort from top to bottom. While I have nothing against the folk rock influences, I'd like to see him push the psychedelic / progressive envelope a little bit more though the next time around and use that last track as a bit of a springboard to maybe takes things in a slightly different direction.

Track Listing
1) It Goes On
2) A Northern Song
3) Shadowland
4) Soldier
5) The War Is Over
6) The Drowned Girl
7) The Demon Wife
8) Where Will You Go?
9) Altai

Added: February 28th 2010
Reviewer: Ryan Sparks
Score:
Related Link: Official MySpace Page
Hits: 2327
Language: english

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