Reviews
manning - cascade
Guy Manning is productive and innovative. His previous release - The Cure - was
a finer and more progressive record than his debut.
So where does he go this time, with Cascade?
Quality-wise right to the top! Some may never tire of the possibly greatest
decade in rock, the 70s. Here is Roxy Music mixed with Van Der Graaf Generator,
Yes mixed with Genesis, Bo Hansson mixed with Jethro Tull and The Chieftains
mixed with Pink Floyd. In other words, old, but new.
It is difficult to pinpoint the music to a genre. Here is both progressive rock
with saxophone in focus, as well as tracks which combine funky pop and driving
rock. There is also room for quiet guitar songs, often with lovely organ tones
in the background.
Manning is joined by ex-Parallel or 90 Degrees' guitarist Gareth Harwood and
Angela Goldthorpe from Mostly Autumn on flute. This is
spiced with catchy Moog-themes and sophisticated multi-tracked vocals.
Everything is delicately performed. The detailed and thoughtful
arrangements and atmospheres frequently grab you. What, in addition to
Manning's down-to-earth and intimate vocals, makes
this album exciting and different is his interesting sense of instrumentation.
The arrangements are often almost a musical cultural
crash, but still everything sounds tasteful and quite natural. Soulful, elegant
and creative, Top quality in sound, rich and clean.
The music is both easily accessible and melodic, at the same time it is
experimental and exciting. The atmosphere is somewhat melancholic
with a few light, high-spirited tracks. Even with fine dynamics and quite
a few mighty theme parts, the music does not stand out as
pompous or heavy. There is always room for more. An album which
constantly grows for each new spin in my CD player.
Recommended.
Sven Eriksen
Tarkus Magazine
http://www.tarkus.org
