Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

David Cross Band — Ice Blue, Silver Sky
(Cherry Red NOISY012, 2023, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-01-14

Ice Blue, Silver Sky Cover art

David Cross has been busy the last few years with a number of collaborative recordings — with David Jackson (Another Day), Peter Banks (Crossover), and Andrew Keeling (October Is Marigold) — and guest appearances — with Rocking Horse Music Club, Roland Bühlmann, Alex Carpani, Clint Bahr, Spirits Burning, Bernardo Lanzetti, Mick Paul, Markus Reuter, and probably some I’ve missed — but Ice Blue - Silver Sky is the first release with his band since 2016’s Sign of the Crow. Mick Paul (bass) and Jinian Wilde (vocals, guitar) have been in the group for some time, while Steve Roberts (drums) is a relative newcomer. The two studio albums Cross did as a member of King Crimson (Larks’ Tongues in Aspic and Starless and Bible Black) constitute one of the band’s highest points, and his contributions to that excellence were considerable. On this new album, he revisits two songs from that body of work — “Exiles” and “Starless” — deftly balancing faithfulness to the originals with fresh interpretation. “Exiles,” of course, featured Cross in the original version, while “Starless” did not, at least on Red, but those familiar with the song’s history may know that the soaring melody was played by Cross on violin with the band before he left, then switched to guitar for the album. In this version, it includes one of Cross’ wildest solos, for a cathartic climax to the epic track. (And observant readers will note that this album’s title is taken from the lyrics of “Starless.”) These two Crimson gems are presented with five new songs that show a really original take on progressive rock. Wilde’s vocals are very strong, and several tracks feature nicely done massed harmonies. The rhythm section is very energetic, bringing a lot of intensity to the arrangements. Ice Blue - Silver Sky shows a consummate artist who is at home with his illustrious past but not simply resting on his laurels, creating new music to cement his legacy.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): David Cross, David Jackson, Mick Paul

More info
http://www.davidcrossband.com

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.