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Leon Alvarado — The Changing Tide
(Bandcamp Melodic Revolution Records MRR 22248, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-09-09

The Changing Tide Cover art

The Changing Tide sees Leon Alvarado returning to progressive rock, specifically embracing Pink Floyd as an influence and inspiration. “The Equilibrium of Time” features a ticking sound in the background, a thump-thump heartbeat, and long ringing chords, very much like a reinterpretation of “Time” from Dark Side of the Moon. Add in some bluesy guitars with harmonized melodies and you know where he’s coming from. But then it brings in a string quartet and a tinkling piano, and you realize that Pink Floyd is only a stepping-off point — Alvarado has his own ideas to add into the mix, resulting in what might be described as a more symphonic and electronic version of Pink Floyd’s style. And just to prove you’re not imagining the connection, the last track on the album is a cover of “Brain Damage.” In other places on the album, you’ll hear references to sections of Wish You Were Here, Animals, and other Floyd classics. The Gilmour-esque guitar on most of the tracks is courtesy of Edoardo Scordo, who is dead-on with the style. I don’t see any other credits listed for him on Discogs, but if I read my search results right, he plays in Brit Floyd, so he’s familiar with the material. On bass he’s got veteran Tony Franklin, whose resume is long enough to consume a review on its own. On various tracks, you’ll also find John Helliwell of Supertramp (saxophone), who has also played with Pink Floyd, Pablo Hopenhayn (violin, viola, cello), Gary Gnaedinger (guitar, bass, keyboards), James Griggers (guitar), and backing vocals by Jeff Sanson, Linda Alvarado, and Liz Hall. Alvarado contributes drums, keyboards, and some bass, along with vocals on “Brain Damage.” I suppose a listener’s reaction to The Changing Tide would depend on a fondness for Pink Floyd and a tolerance for imitation. There are a lot of blurry lines here. For me, if  want to hear music in the style of Pink Floyd, I’ve got the original albums and don’t need someone else’s take on it, but your mileage may vary.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Leon Alvarado

More info
http://leonalvarado.bandcamp.com/album/the-changing-tide

 

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