Artist: All Over Everywhere
Label: Emkog Records
Release: year
Runtime: 41:51
Rating: 4.2/5
All Over Everywhere is the latest project from phenomenal composer, keyboardist and guitarist Dan Britton. The band came about almost by accident, when multi-instrumentalist Trinna Kesner and Britton, in a totally random conversation, hit on the idea of a kind of folk version of Birds and Buildings. So Trinna’s previous band joined forces with Britton and the Emkog label, and All Over Everywhere was born. The debut “Inner Firmaments Decay” came out this year, and it does exactly what Dan Britton had in mind – it’s basically a folk version of Birds and Buildings’ album “Bantam to Behemoth” (link to review).
The album glows with acoustic sound and with electric undertones that are almost eerily pleasant. The beauty it conjures is minor-key rather than major-key in nature. The album’s biggest quirk is its incredibly interesting production. After the first listen I thought it had been “mixed” completely wrong, since totally “wrong” notes poke out all over the place. But after listening more closely, I realized just how genius that kind of production is. Putting certain parts front and center, parts you’d never expect to play such a role, gives the music a very particular interpretation and hands the listener the key concept of the album. With all this, Britton has lifted production to a level where it becomes part of the music itself and its idea.
“Inner Firmaments Decay” consists of eight excellent songs that complement each other, and every single one is remarkably consistent in quality. Britton himself says “Gratitude” is one of the best songs he’s ever worked on, and it’s probably also the peak of the album. The vocals of singer Megan Wheatley, who has already worked with Britton before, recall Kate Bush; the song arrangements are similar too, so very much in Bush’s style – with a backdrop of jazz and folk elements. But these arrangements are seriously upgraded with a fair few avant-garde touches, wrapped in that signature “Britton-esque” progressive rock sound. In one respect, though, Britton doesn’t change – he never strays from his keyboard-, piano- and above all Mellotron-driven music, his personal favorite.
So I’m not recommending the album just to Britton fans (they’ll definitely love it), but to all fans of folk, jazz and progressive rock. The unique mix on “Inner Firmaments Decay” creates music that isn’t too fixated on any one genre, at least not to the point of appealing only to listeners of one very specific style. It doesn’t reach the innovation and near-perfection of “Bantam to Behemoth”, but it’s easily among Britton’s best albums. Then again, let’s be honest, Britton has never made a bad album – every single one ranks extremely high in prog rock circles. So with “Inner Firmaments Decay,” Dan continues his tradition of excellent albums that deserve nothing but praise, and if he keeps this up, his name will soon be written alongside the musical giants of the seventies.
Lineup
Trinna Kesner – guitars, viola, violin
Natalie Hughes – cello, bass guitar
Jennifer LaPlatnia – piano, accordion, vibraphone
Megan Wheatley – vocals
Kelli Short – oboe
Dan Britton – keyboards, guitars
Ignacio Cruz – violin zither, dulcimer, guitars
Pat Gaffney – drums
N. Scott Robinson – percussion
Brian Falkowski – flute, clarinet
Production
Dan Britton
Tracklist
1. Art of the Earth (4:13)
2. Endless Night (3:18)
3. The Shroud (5:40)
4. Honesty (4:29)
5. After All the Years (6:57)
6. On a Dark Street (3:08)
7. Until the Sun Begins to Fall (3:32)
8. Gratitude (10:34)
