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Reviews

MesaVerde — KY
(Apollon Records AP123, 2022, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-08-12

KY Cover art

At this point in the history of music, it might seem that it would be impossible to come up with a kind of progressive rock that doesn’t sound like things that have come before, either singly (as in “sounds like Genesis”) or in combination (“sounds like a cross between ELP and Pink Floyd”). But I’ve got to say that MesaVerde’s debut, KY, has a unique sound. With the use of saxophones and keyboards, and the kinds of parts they play, a touch of Canterbury is in the mix, and some of the vocal parts touch on Gentle Giant in the rhythms of the melodies (not the polyphonic complexity); there’s a bit of funkiness in some of the riffs, but also some of the flavor of 70s Art Rock like 10cc; some of the chording has the kind of sophistication that Steely Dan is known for. All of these disparate elements are fused into a tasty and entertaining brew that should satisfy both prog rock fans and those who love more mainstream classic fare, as well as contemporary acts like Syd Arthur, Temples, and Tame Impala. Every single track is brimming with creative ideas, and while the tunes are of modest length, they seem epic in the scope of ideas. The musicians are Jørgen Apeness, Lars Fremmerlid, Henrik Schmidt, and Jonas Lundekvam, but aside from Ludekvam being listed as lead vocalist, more specific credits are non-existent. Whoever does what, and however they do it, the result is magical, and I recommend it highly.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): MesaVerde

More info
http://mesaverde.bandcamp.com/album/ky

 

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