Straight out of Seattle, it's Moon Letters with their second full length album, Thank You From The Future. Formed in 2016 the band consists of John Allday (Vocals and Keyboards), Mike Murphy (Vocals and Bass), Michael Trew (Flute and Vocals), Dave Webb (Guitar) and Kelly Mynes (Drums). The artwork for this album by 'Mariano Peccinetti' is absolutely brilliant and it would look great on a tshirt (I'd certainly buy one). Sudden Sun rocks up first and pulls me straight in with its infectious energy. The vocal delivery on this is as hot as the sun, as guitars and keyboards wrap around the dangerously tight rhythm section. The Hrossa is up next and continues with that sonic flame the band has burning away in their bellies. The dynamic approach to their songwriting just shows what talented musicians these gentlemen are. We then encounter some exquisite guitar playing as Mother River opens up. It's full of catchy melodies and vocal lines making this a standout on the album. The band are sounding really locked in with each other, song after song. Isolation And Foreboding sounds like it's being beamed directly from another galaxy thanks to some insanely delicious synth sounds. Lyrics such as "Everything is under control, nothing is under your control" are super punchy and the drumming really hits out at you too! Then we come to Child Of Tomorrow, which brings some blistering guitar work to the party along with scrumptious keyboards - the energy on this track is infectious! This has to be my favourite song on the album at the time of writing. All musicians shine on the longest song here, Fate Of The Alacorn. It's suitably dramatic with the entire band flexing their progressive muscles throughout - the devilish organ noodling is a certain highlight though. Then to tie things up we have Yesterday Is Gone. That strong sense of melody the band have is in plentiful supply here with some rather colourful guitar playing to boot, nicely rounding off the album. Moon Letters have created a fun album full of engaging and melodically playful tunes that will surely delight both prog fans old and new. A much more cohesive release than their debut, Until They Feel The Sun (2019, see review), sounding much tighter and more focused in its approach. With only one song creeping over the seven minute mark, there's a nice energy that runs throughout this release and stops it from losing any momentum. This band gives me that same sense of excitement I felt when listening to Spocks Beard for the first time and I can't wait to see what they do next. Another great album in a year full of fabulous releases, it's certainly worth some of your valuable time. ****+ Rickalonius Monk Where to buy? |
