Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Phideaux
Label: Bloodfish Music
Release: 2006
Length: 54:08
Rating: 3.5/5
Phideaux Xavier is a hyperactive American multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and TV director who once described their musical approach as ‘psychedelic progressive gothic rock’. The main musical influences are listed as early Genesis, Pink Floyd, JethroTull, Van Der Graaf Generator and David Bowie. Their output is released under the name Phideaux, so some people wrongly assume it’s a band rather than a solo project with a loyal studio and live band, and there’s really no shortage of psychedelic rock influences in it, even though the sprawling sonic collage also contains plenty of other, varied genre influences, especially elements of symphonic prog rock and new wave.
Most Phideaux albums also share a concept with mostly intelligent, socially astute lyrics, which is especially rare and praiseworthy for an American artist and has contributed significantly to Xavier’s profile. Phideaux had already made some noise with past albums, but only entered the collective consciousness of most modern prog rock fans with the fifth album, »The Great Leap«, on which Xavier reached a new level of artistic development.
»The Great Leap«, which came out the same year as its predecessor »313« (2006), was the first part of Xavier’s ambitious concept trilogy about the reign of ‘Big Brother’ and a general ecological crisis in a dystopian society. The second part of the concept saga was the album »Doomsday Afternoon« (2007), while the third and final part will be called »Infernal« (no official release date yet). Most of the lyrics on »The Great Leap«, which has a great cover, are laced with sarcasm and poke fun at a modern society that traded freedom for security under the wing of neoliberal servitude and serfdom to money, all while selfishly trashing the planet wherever it feels like it. Xavier decided that each of the three parts of the saga would have a different stylistic and arrangement approach.
For »The Great Leap«, written together with drummer Rich Hutchins, the decision was to make it the most structurally compact and accessible part of the saga, with only two tracks on the album running longer than six minutes, while stylistically it’s in places even closer to pop rock than to the psychedelic-spiced symphonic prog that Phideaux otherwise likes to cultivate most on their projects. So »The Great Leap« isn’t the most ambitious part of the trilogy when it comes to complexity and arrangement variety, but it makes up for it with plenty of other virtues.
The master of composition and lyrics, who is usually also the keyboardist and auxiliary guitarist, surprisingly played bass and most of the guitars on the album this time, as well as electric sitar. Most of the keyboards were played by Arian Shierbaum, who shone on Hammond organ, Minimoog, Wurlitzer piano and clavinet. Female vocal lines, which play an important role on most Phideaux releases, are back again, while occasional string and woodwind arrangements on »The Great Leap« add ambient grandiosity.
Phideaux is lucky that the mostly sarcastic and psychedelic vocals, which at moments are slightly (just barely) akin to Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and occasionally even Alice Cooper (in the lower register), are distinctive and charismatic enough to make the project instantly recognizable and set this solo outfit clearly apart from similar prog acts. Once again there’s a whole army of quality instrumental sidekicks on hand, led by guitarist and producer Gabriel Moffat, Xavier’s longtime collaborator. Xavier’s band is made up of people who have been around for most of their life and who are also friends.
The album is quite vocal-driven, and most of the tracks, along with their varied atmospheres, carry a strong melodic stamp, making for a highly accessible listening experience. »The Great Leap« opens with »Wake Up«, which has an almost alternative-rock guitar phrase, but once Xavier’s sarcastic singing and the refined, witty instrumental touches kick in, it quickly melts into psychedelic-symphonic color. »You And Me Against A World Of Pain«, with plenty of psychedelia and space rock influences, rests on pastoral acoustic guitar chords, and its main strengths are the splendid vocal harmonies and occasional string arrangements.
»The Waiting«, thanks to its black-humor lyrics and psychedelic pulse, where you can’t miss The Beatles and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd influences, has a kind of traditional English charm, which is quite, quite unusual for an American musician. »Abducted«, one of the best moments on »The Great Leap«, offers a good ambient contrast with its gloomy atmosphere, while the lyrics are full of sarcasm aimed at the infamous social system and general apathy. The mocking chorus is brilliantly pulled off this time, while digital samples over synth textures and epic vocal harmonies bring some grandeur to the all-pervading ambient resignation.
The no less ambitiously conceived »Rainboy« has a pastoral intro and Beach Boys-style vocal harmonies, after which its nature changes completely, as elements of folk, symphonic prog and even prog metal trade places, courtesy of angry guitar passages and furious drum marches. The energetic »I Was Thinking« is carried on the wings of lovely orchestral-acoustic arrangements, while Xavier impresses with a chameleon-like vocal approach on »Long And Lonely Way«, where vocal sarcasm at the expense of human selfishness reigns once again. It’s an acoustic-leaning piece with psychedelic and folk shades, while the modern production and dirty electric guitar sound remind you that this ‘old-timey’ track was made in the 21st century.
»They Hunt You Down«, which will be close to the heart of many a Pink Floyd fan, is another interesting folk ballad with elements of psychedelia, symphonic prog and pop rock, in which Xavier once again impresses with vocal versatility. The female vocal harmonies and woodwind arrangements come off especially well here. On »Tannis Root«, yet another ambient-rich number, Xavier also cynically rails against the hunting of (endangered) animals, while this time the short instrumental section with keyboard soloing and the variety of vocal harmonies are especially fascinating.
»One Star«, true to its title and its lyrics poking fun at instant fame, is a fun pop/alt/psychedelic rocker with mighty layers of Hammond organ. Xavier goes for a somewhat more punk-flavored approach to the singing this time, with some vocoder thrown in, which is admittedly slightly overdoing it. »Last« is a pleasant acoustic ballad with a love-song lyric that’s anything but too sweet, making it one of the few moments on the album without any trace of sarcasm.
»The Great Leap« wasn’t a great leap forward in terms of sonic evolution, but for Phideaux Xavier it was definitely a leap forward in developing ambitious concept ideas, which put the project light-years ahead of most other contemporary American prog acts and makes it so interesting to all fans of musical intellectuals. Compared to future Phideaux projects, »The Great Leap« was actually the ‘lightweight’ of the bunch, since it had no multi-part symphonic prog epic, but on the other hand it was highly accessible for all fans of psychedelic rock, folk and pop, for whom it makes a pretty good entry point into the rest of Xavier’s discography.
Lineup
Phideaux Xavier – lead vocals, guitar, electric sitar, autoharp, keyboards, bass guitar
Rich Hutchins – drums, percussion
Ariel Farber – violin, backing vocals
Valerie Gracious – vocals
Molly Ruttan Moffat – vocals
Linda Ruttan Moldawsky – vocals
Gabriel Moffat – guitar (4, 5)
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Arlan Shierbaum – keyboards
Probyn Gregory – woodwinds
Biker Helfrostt – flute
Joe Pusiteri – percussion
Stefanie Fife – cello
Production
Gabriel Moffat
Track list
1. Wake Up (4:03)
2. You And Me Against A World Of Pain (5:35)
3. The Waiting (3:33)
4. Abducted (6:10)
5. Rainboy (6:15)
6. I Was Thinking (4:24)
7. Long And Lonely Way (4:18)
8. They Hunt You Down (3:54)
9. Tannisroot (4:52)
10. One Star (5:14)
11. Last (5:50)
