Exposé Online banner

Rhys Marsh — Sentiment
(Autumnsongs AR018CD, 2014, CD)

by Jon Davis, 2015-01-06:

Sentiment Cover art Norwegian musician Rhys Marsh presents a set of music both like and unlike the band Kaukasus, of which he is a member. As for similarities, there is Marsh's voice itself, which is generally melodic and somewhat breathy, reminiscent of Tim Bowness, though he has a much stronger low register, and drops down into bass territory on occasion. The main difference is that the the space-rock detours are absent, along with woodwind instruments. The tracks are of modest length, with only one slipping over six minutes, and therefore center more on the singing. The guitar work, both electric and acoustic is solid and superbly recorded, but it is probably keyboards that do more to define the sound. If Mellotrons can choke horses, surely this album has enough of them to do it. Both string and flute sounds are used on nearly every track, along with electric piano and other instruments, none of which are noticeably digital in nature, though I wouldn't rule them out. Sentiment is a prime example of applying such vintage sounds in a modern context. The general vibe is not unlike Porcupine Tree without any appreciable metal elements. Tempos and moods vary from track to track so, while the overall effort is very cohesive, it doesn't descend into tedious sameness. On the whole, this is a fine release that should find fans among many prog fans, provided they're not allergic to Mellotrons.

by Henry Schneider, 2014-12-22:

This is a release that I am having difficulty getting into. Most of the songs are a melancholic bluesy/jazzy form of progressive rock, at times like latter day King Crimson. Something keeps telling me to draw a comparison to Sting and The Police as well, though I could be way off base. The instrumental sections are great, but given that these are songs, Rhys’ vocals and lyrics do not provide enough space to fully develop his musical and compositional ideas for my tastes. He does use a generous amount of Mellotron throughout similar to Fripp on “The Court of the Crimson King.” There is also a dash of Porcupine Tree and Tim Bowness applied here and there. This may be one of those releases where repeated listenings will aid in appreciating the music, as well as experiencing it when you are in different moods. Kind of like listening to early Leonard Cohen, if you weren’t already depressed, you were after listening to him sing. It was not until the final track “Give Me (What You Need)” that I finally heard something that grabbed my attention. This is the first real upbeat song on the disc. At any rate, Sentiment is the first full solo album release by this young Norwegian singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer.

Filed under: New releases , 2014 releases

Related artist(s): Rhys Marsh

More info

Latest news

2018-09-29
Marty Balin RIP – One of the architects of the 60s psychedelic sound of San Francisco has died at the age of 76. Marty Balin was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was one of the founders of Jefferson Airplane. After the split of the original Airplane, Balin went on to form the highly successful Jefferson Starship. » Read more

2018-09-25
Help the Psychic Equalizer Avoid Extinction – Last year we reviewed the debut album by Psychic Equalizer, a musical project of Hugo Selles. He's now working on the ambitious follow-up to that release, and is seeking funding from listeners around the world. » Read more

2018-09-05
Krautrock Documentary Seeks Funding – The next installment of the Progressive Warriors documentary series will focus on the vast body of music that falls under the banner of "krautrock." As most of our readers will know, previous films have tackled RIO and the Canterbury scene, as well as what we might call "mainstream" prog rock. » Read more

2018-07-31
Tomasz Stańko RIP – Tomasz Stańko, one of the greats of Eastern European jazz, has died at the age of 76. Stańko's career started in Krzysztof Komeda's quintet, where he contributed trumpet from 1963-1967, when he formed his own group. He worked extensively with Edward Vesala, Don Cherry, Zbigniew Seifert, Chico Freeman, Howard Johnson, Cecil Taylor, and many others. Many of his recordings have been released by ECM, an association that began in the mid-70s. » Read more

2018-07-09
Soft Machine Set to Release New Music – It's been 50 years since The Soft Machine changed the face of music with their first album. Their blend of psychedelic rock and jazz was unique, and while the band went through many changes before disbanding in 1981 — by which time there were no original members remaining — they remained an innovative force with a style all their own. » Read more

More news

Previously in Exposé...

Haakon Ellingsen - Bounty – Many many years ago (in issue #12 to be precise) we reviewed a wonderful and heavily Beatles influenced psychedelic pop album titled Kindergarten by Norwegian trio The Last James. Haakon Ellingsen...  (2008) » Read more

Bubu - Anabelas – This is an excellent album, featuring mature composition, great group playing, and a very nice sense of dynamics and texture. There is an intensity to this music which is controlled beautifully over...  (1994) » Read more

Akai Ikuo - Language without Words – This short album (in the neighborhood of 30 minutes even including the two unlisted tracks) is the first US release but Japanese experimental multi-instrumentalist Akai Ikuo. It’s a combination...  (2008) » Read more

Iconoclasta - De Todos Uno – In the time since their first albums in the early 80s, Iconoclasta has been gradually assimilating a greater diversity of ideas into their musical pallette. Long Mexico's premier progressive rock...  (1995) » Read more

Roine Stolt - Wall Street Voodoo – Roine Stolt has certainly been a prolific musician the last several years. The Kaipa, Flower Kings, and Transatlantic guitarist / vocalist has released what seems like a couple of albums per year...  (2006) » Read more

Random review

Listen & discover

Paolo Angeli teaches us about multitasking

More recommendations
ProgStock 2017

Print issues