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Madrigal — On My Hands
(Musea FGBG 4258.AR, 1996/1998, CD)

by Jeff Melton, Published 1997-05-01

On My Hands Cover art

From the Great Pacific Northwest (the land that brought you "Louie, Louie" and "Foxey Lady") comes Madrigal, a five-piece group from Spokane. As you can probably guess, the locale is not necessarily well known for bands of the progressive ilk. So it's very surprising the band has two recordings under its belt in the space of ten years (the first being the quirky yet enjoyable Waiting from 1988). This album is much clearer in focus, exhibiting a stronger, more melodic identity than the band's last outing. There are eight songs, ranging from Alan Parsons-like ballads ("Living on the Edge") to intricate experiments reminiscent of Happy the Man ("Shout" uses counterpoint saxes). Strong points on the disc are intriguing lyrics, multi-part arrangements and, again, the opening track "Shout," which demonstrates what this band does best. The album's title track is a seven-and-a-half minute, neo-progressive pastiche falling somewhere between IQ and an updated Gentle Giant with multi-layered vocal parts. "Old World Charms" is an even-paced acoustic ballad that shows off the subtler points of the ensemble. Checking out the individual band member contributions: vocalist / drummer Kevin Dodson is no Phil Collins clone — which is a good thing, all points considered. His vocals may take some time to adjust to, but be patient. Steven Dornbirer's guitars are generally downplayed, not much in the frontal mix which is only a slight disappointment. Keyboards at times are very busy, reminding me of Mike Grimes from Puppet Show, precise and technical, melodic with some flashy parts. The only low point is that On My Hands is really a posthumous release, since the disc was issued after the band officially split. Word is that two members are still writing and playing; hopefully this isn't the last Madrigal we'll hear from Eastern Washington.

Filed under: Reissues, Issue 12, 1998 releases, 1996 recordings

Related artist(s): Madrigal

 

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