Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Spock's Beard
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2013
Runtime: 55:50
Rating: 5/5
»Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep« is the eleventh studio album from American progressive rock revivalists Spock’s Beard. It’s the second time in their career that the Beardmen have found themselves at a major turning point, practically at the start of something entirely new, since longtime drummer and singer Nick D’Virgilio left at the end of 2011. With his vocal charisma, he left a defining mark on the previous four studio albums from this cult prog collective from Los Angeles. On D’Virgilio’s last Spock’s Beard album, »X« (2011), one of their best efforts ever, they proved once and for all that even in the era without the band’s founder, cult multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse, who still pitches in now and then as a guest musician for his old buddies, they remain a powerhouse of modern prog rock. After Nick’s departure, the Beardmen had to fill two spots in the band. The mic went to Ted Leonard, singer/guitarist of Enchant and an old friend and supporter of the Beardmen, while longtime touring drummer and backing vocalist Jimmy Keegan landed behind the kit, someone the fans had ‘adopted’ as a regular member ages ago.
On »Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep«, Leonard proves himself not only as a top-notch singer but, alongside Keegan, whose drumming style is almost a carbon copy of D’Virgilio’s, as a key factor in injecting the recognizable Spock’s Beard sound with fresh energy. Besides singing and playing guitar, the Enchant frontman also co-wrote two tracks on the album. And already in the opening minutes, on the opening epic »Hiding Out«, which fuses all the best virtuoso trademarks of the Beardmen into one perfect whole, Leonard shows he’s not just the right kind of singer for this band, but that his vocal approach brings a totally fresh energy and new drive to the individual arrangements. That’s exactly what they needed after the masterpiece that was »X«, so they wouldn’t end up repeating themselves.
Ted’s voice, which among singing legends is closest to Kansas vocalist Steve Walsh, is practically ideal for Spock’s Beard and breaks through plenty of genre limits. Credit is of course also due to his virtuoso bandmates, led by guitarist Alan Morse, who contributes some of the best, most inventive solos of his career on this album. Ryo Okumoto, the Japanese Keith Emerson, is once again a chapter all his own, especially when the improvisational moments kick in. This time he put extra emphasis on orchestral arrangements, with generous use of the Mellotron. Dave Meros likewise delights with a lavish offering of melodic and at times provocative bass lines, while Keegan very successfully carries on his predecessor’s drumming legacy.
Already on »Hiding Out« you can feel a totally fresh atmosphere within the Spock’s Beard camp. At the same time, it has to be said that the »nice guys« from San Francisco have shed quite a bit of that overly playful, party-ish, let’s call it Beatlesque element that occasionally came across as a little naive on some of their earlier releases. The new Spock’s Beard have passed another maturity test and moved forward on every front as musicians and arrangers, which you can hear nicely on the excellent epic rocker »I Know Your Secret«, where they successfully combine their innate improvisational pragmatism with an exceptional knack for building melodic arrangements.
At the same time, they stay true to the legacy of old-school progressive rock, which comes through nicely on the pastorally flavored »A Treasure Abandoned«, where the many shimmering symphonic keyboard arrangements and the overall mysterious atmosphere make for a lovely tribute to the legendary Genesis. Besides plenty of Kansas influences, Spock’s Beard have always sounded rather European, so »Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep« is also full of echoes of prog legends like the aforementioned Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Camel. Despite all these influences, though, the Beardmen follow their own path and their very own songwriting approach. The balance between light and dark, in terms of the ambient feel of the individual tracks on the album, is just right, never tipping into either extreme. The lyrics, once again, are hardly a crowning stroke of genius and, apart from occasional flashes, may be their weakest point, but there’s noticeable progress here too: there’s no trace left of the typical American pathos that liked to poke its head out in both Morse’s and D’Virgilio’s singing eras.
On the melodic, punchy »Submerged«, where a hefty guitar riff rules among lush synth curtains, Leonard shows in the chorus that his voice would fit right in with AOR. On every guitar solo on the album, Alan Morse proves how much he has grown as a soloist in recent years, though he still loves reaching for the sustain effect. »Afterthoughts«, where Neal Morse also pitched in as a guest songwriter, is a kind of symbolic and conceptual sequel to the Spock’s Beard classic »Thoughts« from the album »Beware of Darkness« (1996), which means they once again play around with multi-part Gentle Giant-style vocal harmonies. Overall, the vocal harmonies on the album are pure fantasy, since every member of the band except Okumoto is also a very good backing singer. The improvisational interplay between Okumoto’s keyboard wizardry and Morse’s guitar flights is once again breathtaking. Our slick keyboard virtuoso goes totally off the rails a few times, to put it plainly, and when he does, he delivers a proper improvisational orgy, whether on organ, piano, Mellotron, synth or clavinet.
The epic energy catalyst »Something Very Strange«, written with the help of longtime outside collaborator John Boegehold, is one of the album’s peaks, as they show off their incredible virtuoso chops, melodic instinct and the nerve to build amazingly rich arrangements at full force. Leonard’s singing deserves praise again here, as he brings an exceptional atmosphere amid the orchestral pomp and improvisational wizardry and keeps the epic character of this excellent track going throughout. The closing treat comes in the form of »Waiting For Me«, a more than 12-minute epic, co-written by Neal Morse, who also added extra guitar and who has lately been drawn more and more to hanging out with his old buddies. This is one of the best things they’ve done in their entire career, one that can even be compared to classics like »The Light« and »The End of the Day«. The level of virtuosity is downright astonishing, yet they keep up an exceptional subtlety the whole time. Mellotron waves of pure symphonic poetry with a Floydian intro, jazz-fusion-tinged rhythmic interplay, and a light but energetic vocal performance once again come together in perfect symbiosis, creating the kind of upbeat grandeur that’s unmistakably tied to Spock’s Beard’s long-running sonic legacy.
Loyal fans of the band should treat themselves to the special double version of the album, since the bonus disc holds a nice bunch of quality tracks. Besides an alternate version of »Something Very Strange«, they can enjoy the almost hard-rock-seasoned »The Man You’re Afraid You Are«, which wins you over with its melodic rock chorus ruled by gorgeous vocal harmonies. The symphonic power ballad »Down a Burning Road«, with its Santana nods on guitar, and the irritated, punchy »Wish I Were Here«, which makes use of a whole range of synth and guitar effects, are also very good. The epic instrumental »Postcards From Perdition«, with its anthemic intro, supersonic guitar-and-keyboard passages and orchestral waves, is likewise a very tasty bonus dessert.
Infused with a rush of fresh energy, Spock’s Beard have successfully kicked off a whole new phase of their career with »Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep«, delivering yet another prog rock masterpiece that stands shoulder to shoulder with their best work. After a long time, they’ve once again touched the high standards of the classic Morse era, while staying »in step with the times« and, once more, making an album that sounds almost completely different from its predecessor. The arrival of Leonard and Keegan has turned out to be a total win, and it’s no exaggeration to say that, despite his »crazy« singing and drumming, D’Virgilio won’t be missed all that much. And with this fantastic release, the nostalgia trips to the »good old days« when Neal Morse called the shots in the band are over for good, because the circle of pure sonic perfection has finally closed.
Lineup
Ted Leonard – vocals and guitar
Alan Morse – guitar and backing vocals
Dave Meros – bass guitar, bass pedals, keyboards and backing vocals
Ryo Okumoto – keyboards and backing vocals
Jimmy Keegan – drums and backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Craig Eastman – violin, viola, hurdy gurdy (7, se2)
John Boegehold – vocoder (6)
Neal Morse – guitar (7)
Stan Ausmus – guitar (se1)
Production
Rich Mouser, Alan Morse and John Boegehold
Tracklist
1. Hiding Out (7:13)
2. I Know Your Secret (7:40)
3. A Treasure Abandoned (8:53)
4. Submerged (4:57)
5. Afterthoughts (6:08)
6. Something Very Strange (8:23)
7. Waiting For Me (12:36)
