Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kino
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2018
Runtime: 55:51
Rating: 4/5
English neo-prog outfit Kino called it quits after their well-received debut »Picture« (2005), which was followed the same year by the compilation album »Cutting Room Floor«. The whole thing was conceived back then as a short-lived project rather than a band for the ‘long haul’. The members of Kino are musical masters from established and respected bands who first got together just for a one-off collaboration, so it was a total surprise when they regrouped in 2017 and recorded their second studio album, »Radio Voltaire«.
The lineup on »Radio Voltaire« stayed mostly the same, meaning John Mitchell (Arena, It Bites, Lonely Robot, The Urbane, Frost*, ex-Blind Ego) on guitar and lead vocals, Pete Trewavas (Marillion, Transatlantic, Edison’s Children) on bass and John Beck (It Bites) on keys. Behind the kit, Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree, ex-Blackfield, Guilt Machine) and his short-lived successor Bob Dalton (It Bites) have been replaced by Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson, ex-Pendragon, Frost*). Alongside Marco Minnemann, Blundell is these days one of the most in-demand drummers in the prog rock world.
Compared to the debut, »Radio Voltaire« is an even more varied affair, and it’ll go down well with most fans of melodic, old-school British neo-prog, especially lovers of It Bites and Lonely Robot, since Mitchell, with his guitar work and vocals, is without a doubt the ‘main character’ of this album. His guitar wizardry sits up front in the mix, while he once again makes great use of his vocal resemblance to Peter Gabriel (ex-Genesis), which is already plain to hear on the opening title track. It’s yet another confirmation of his status as one of the best musicians around right now who can both sing brilliantly and play guitar like a master. No wonder former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre invited him a few years back to join his solo band, where one of the most in-demand singer/guitarists of our time handled the vocal duties on tour.
Anyone who’s been dying for the new It Bites album will get at least some satisfaction from »Radio Voltaire«, even though the music and atmosphere of most Kino compositions are noticeably darker, more nostalgic and more melancholic than those prog-pop jokers. You can clearly hear that Mitchell keeps up with new music and is striving for as modern a sound as possible on tracks like the dramatic »The Dead Club«, which also brings in some alternative rock and prog metal touches. Songs like »Idlewild« are marked by Mitchell’s mournful guitar solos and even more mournful singing, plus an exceptional artistic depth, while Beck keeps shifting between piano-driven symphonic arrangements and more characteristic synth-heavy neo-prog moves. »I Don’t Know Why« is a textbook example of so-called prog pop, with a chorus that in some other time and some other dimension would surely have had hit potential. There are no weak moments on »Radio Voltaire«, it’s an extremely consistent piece of work. Only towards the end does it start to creak a little, when you can feel the interesting ideas slowly running out and the whole thing drags just a bit too much.
»Radio Voltaire« is a triumphant return for Kino to the neo-prog rock scene and a major step forward from their debut, even if, as expected, it doesn’t bring any particularly innovative tricks to the table. Regardless, it’s one of the better prog rock albums of 2018, and thanks to its accessibility and melodic bent it’ll win over plenty of new fans who wouldn’t normally count themselves among the usual lovers of experimental music. On every track, together with the excellent production, you can feel that these top-notch musicians have developed superb chemistry. It would be a real shame if we had to wait another twelve years for the next Kino album, even though Mitchell and company are booked solid with countless other musical projects.
Line-up
John Mitchell – guitar, vocals
Pete Trewavas – bass guitar, backing vocals
John Beck – keyboards
Craig Blundell – drums
Production
John Mitchell
Tracklist
1. Radio Voltaire
2. The Dead Club
3. Idlewild
4. I Don’t Know Why
5. I Won’t Break So Easily Any More
6. Temple Tudor
7. Out of Time
8. Warmth of the Sun
9. Grey Shapes on Concrete Fields
10. Keep the Faith
11. The Silent Fighter Pilot
