U-I Blue (USA - TN)
Songbirds Cry
Eccentric, other worldly female fronted art folk-rock, Songbird's Cry is a very unique and rewarding experience. A project recorded and mastered at Glass Hammer's fine Sound Resources studio, and utilizing that duo's musicianship and influences, this very French, very modern sounding album mixes up front acoustic guitar with spacey layers and melodic poetic vocals. Sounding a bit like the Cocteau Twins or Bjork, spiced with European gypsy folk and Fred Schendel's keyboards and mellotrons, U-I Blue consists of Jon Paul, the main songwriter and acoustic guitarist, Laura Lindstrom, the sensational vocalist, and various guests on real strings and other instruments. This isn't old-school prog rock at all, but something with some elements of that that would nevertheless appeal to modern college-rock audiences, such as fans of Tori Amos and Sarah Mclaughlin, as well as Iona and Renaissance. The lyrics are haunting, poetic, and a bit obscure, with odes to romance, songbirds, or other things that those who speak French may have better luck deciphering. Ultimately, it asks the question, "Why does the songbird cry when others are so shy?" The spiritual references are few and subtle, with sprinklings here and there a mention of things like Seraphs and Eden. All in all this is a delicious album that should be sought out by fans of good music, whatever your tastes are. For more information and sound clips. visit http://bendavis.free.fr/uiblue/ or www.uiblue.com {dt}
Unitopia (Australia)
More Than a Dream (05)
Hailing from Australia, Unitopia is a fine modern neo-progressive rock band that could stylistically be compared to artists such as Peter Gabriel, Marillion, Genesis, and IQ. Much like American band Orphan Project, Unitopia bridge the gap between 70's Genesis and cutting edge modern rock. Even though Mark Truack’s powerful voice falls somewhere between Gabriel and Collins in timbre, they are far from another tired Genesis clone band. On the contrary, Unitopia have their own uniquely modern sound, crafting excellent accessible songs with strong melodies and exemplary musicianship, topped with creative lyrics that deal with thoughtful spiritual themes aimed at a hurting world. The bright and only occasionally heavy guitars of Matt Williams tangle with the subtle but tasteful keyboards of band founder Sean Timms in an ever expanding sound bed over a solid rhythmic foundation with occasional orchestration. Some song structures and choruses are more pop than prog, but each song adds the twists and turns and micro-solos prevalent in similar neo-prog bands such as Marillion and IQ to add interest and flair. The recording quality is top notch, and every listen brings out new sounds and layers and textures.
The first day this CD arrived, I had to play it five times in succession because I was so gripped by it. Unitopia is quite a find, one of the best new bands I’ve heard in many years. While not a Christian band per se, several members are Christians, and that sentiment subtly finds its way into their lyrics. The songs are emotionally charged, and deal with themes of disillusionment with the world, the negative influence of the media, environmental issues, spiritual hunger for heavenly things, and love and loss, always with a positive spin. Lives Go Round is one of the standout tracks, which creatively uses sound bits and effects with some great backing vocals and orchestration. Justify is another standout track that makes you think about how what we do affects the world around us, and that there is more to life than what our eyes can see. Here is a sample of the song's lyrics, so you can get a sense of how spiritual themes are woven throughout:
You come to realise there's more to life than this.
A bowl of dirt revolving 'round a distant sun.
That everything that happens, happens for a reason,
And not some twist of fate or cosmic roll of dice.
So now's the time to breathe deep the atmosphere of love,
And feel the warmth around you, and start to look above,
The horizons of the many fears and doubts that cloud an open mind.
The walls between us come crashing down.
Brother, my brother, the children hold the key.
Finally see just where we need to be.
Stand together, a greater destiny.
Now you know you don't get it all for free.
Will it Take you, elevate you, re-generate you.
No need to justify a better way of life.
The more we change the more we realise,
It's time to satisfy the yearning deep within.
And know the meaning of the sacrifice.
More Than a Dream is very strong debut album from some well seasoned musicians, highly recommended for fans of modern rock and neo-prog. Unitopia is currently working on a follow up CD called The Garden, and one single, called 321, is available thus far. If the rest of the album is as strong, they will certainly have another winner on their hands, and I for one am excited to hear it. Check out mp3 samples and more information on Unitopia online at http://www.unitopiamusic.com . [DT]
U2 (UK)
October; War; The Unforgettable Fire; The Joshua Tree
There are some that would count it sacrilege to include U2 in a prog list. One good listen to The Unforgettable Fire would convince them otherwise. Brian Eno's tripped out production and cool sonic textures, mixed with occasional spontaneous vocals in parts, make for the most experimental of all the U2 albums. Songs from other albums like New Years Day, Tomorrow, Drowning Man, Where the Streets Have No Name, Bullet the Blue Sky all owe some debt to progressive rock, and no one can deny the originality of the Edge or the earnest spirituality of these Irish lads. Album by album, these guys progress musically into new terrain. From new wave, to roots rock, to electronic, fuzz box, and techno, there always something new in the mix, while the God factor remains constant, although often masked in irony. Recent albums by the band have been anything but progressive. In fact, they stated that one of their goals in recording their latest, All That You Can't Leave Behind,, was to absolutely not have any prog rock influence whatsoever. Based on that, one can only assume that Bono himself believed their earlier albums somewhat progressive, at least via their association with Brian Eno. They still managed to have some mellotron in one song.
Bono has been getting the leaders of the developed nations of the world to forgive all the financial debts of the underdeveloped ones, no small task. It's called Jubilee 2000, based on the Jewish principle of Jubilee. You can read about it in last November's Rolling Stone, where he talks about his meetings with the United Nations, the Pope, Clinton and Billy Graham. In the photo he's showing off his solid gold "Jesus Saves" ring. It's pretty amusing. {dt}