Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Nektar
Label: Dream Nebula
Release: 2004
Duration: 61:15
Rating: 4/5
»Evolution« was the second studio album from the legendary British prog rockers Nektar since their resurrection in 2000, when the band’s chieftain, guitarist/vocalist Roye Albrighton, decided to revive this cult musical collective after a near-fatal kidney infection. Original bassist Derek ‘Mo’ Moore had by then been replaced by Rickenbacker user Randy Dembo, while the lineup was rounded out by two old hands, original members keyboardist Allan ‘Taff’ Freeman and drummer Ron Howden. On »Evolution«, the old buddies and the newcomer went for a kind of revival of the sound from their golden days, meaning the seventies, and a pretty decent pile of exciting new songwriting ideas had piled up since the previous album, the solid »The Prodigal Son« (2001).
Nektar haven’t sounded this punchy and energetic at the same time in ages, and listeners can hear it right from the excellent opening energy-booster »Camouflage to White«, a complex composition full of surprises. Thanks to its irritated guitar phrases and punchy drum fills, the opening section sounds downright metal, while the clever time changes and the ‘noble’ keyboard sound recall some cult art/heavy rockers in the vein of Wishbone Ash or Uriah Heep. Right at the start of the album, Nektar win you over with plenty of witty improvisations that keep going until a cunning twist leads into a melodic section where Roye’s spirited vocals take the lead. The production is incredibly lively, which means the band sounds vibrant at every turn, as if they were in the middle of a live show. The vocal harmonies are, as expected, excellent and deepen the dramatic, intense atmosphere even further.
The nostalgic treat »Old Mother Earth« opens as a melancholic, piano-backed ballad, but a mighty Hammond organ sound and fiery drum fills quickly whisk it into a spirited section where rhythmic nuances and mighty vocal harmonies, led by a superb chorus, swap places at lightning speed. The acoustic-piano arrangements are tastefully executed and placed in just the right spots. The ballad »Child Of Mine« is a first-rate demonstration of psychedelic-pulsed space rock of the kind Nektar made as young, promising musicians in the early seventies of the last century. The touching symphonic arrangements find ideal company in Roye’s deeply felt singing and ethereal acoustic guitar passages.
The epic masterpiece »Phazed By The Storm«, one of the highlights of the whole of »Evolution«, boasts mighty vocal harmonies and plenty of melancholic guitar passages that together create a truly solemn mood. The ambient section, with its ethereal waves of Mellotron, moving guitar passages and shattering vocal performance, is even one of the most magical moments in the entire history of Nektar, which is about the best compliment you can pay the »Evolution« incarnation of this legendary band. This ability to build layered, hypnotic atmospheres is a trait that only a handful of bands from the golden age of progressive rock can still claim today, since most of them have lost it over the years.
»Always« sways under the weight of epic symphonic arrangements and inconsolably melancholic passages on Roye’s electric guitar, which means the band is in top form again and effortlessly conjures up a hypnotic ambience. Despite the considerable length of the individual compositions, there isn’t a single boring or uninspired moment to be found on »Evolution«. »Dancin’ Into the Void« features clever guitar phrasing and a heap of ethereal synthesizer arrangements, which, combined with Roye’s fully committed singing, once again reaches exceptional ambient heights. That’s especially true of the three-part guitar harmonies in the closing section. The lyrics, nostalgic and socially critical at once, like most of the others on »Evolution«, deal with the harmful impact of modern man on our home planet.
»The Debate« boasts a punchy intro and energetic rhythmic variations that first drive the song’s pulse into a witty funky section with a combative chorus and sizzling Hammond organ passages. Here too, the lyrics carry strong ecological overtones and social anger, which is in perfect harmony with the unusually sharpened guitar passages in between. The closing melodramatic ballad »After The Fall«, where Roye’s distinctly heartfelt singing is accompanied by subtle piano arrangements, makes for a very fitting end to the album.
»Evolution« is a true return to the quality level of the ‘golden days.’ For Nektar fans before 2000, when it seemed the legendary band would forever belong to the ‘distant past,’ back when most music was still made with soul and heart, that was nothing but wishful thinking. Sadly, lineup troubles returned in the following years, as Freeman left Nektar back in September 2004, while Dembo didn’t last long in the band either. Albrighton and Howden have thus remained the only original Nektar members to this day, still staying true to the original sonic vision and mission.
Lineup
Roye Albrighton – vocals, guitar
Taff Freeman – keyboards, Mellotron, backing vocals
Ron Howden – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Randy Dembo – bass guitar, backing vocals
Production
Nektar
Track list
1. Camouflage to White (7:03)
2. Old Mother Earth (7:41)
3. Child of Mine (6:43)
4. Phazed by the Storm (9:20)
5. Always (7:03)
6. Dancin´ into the Void (8:18)
7. The Debate (9:30)
8. After the Fall (5:37)
