British progressive rock act Rain returns with their sophomore album Radio Silence, an even more diverse platter of styles than their debut Singularity that sees the band incorporate elements of jazz, pop, funk, and rock into their prog stew, offering up nine new compositions for the listener to sink their teeth into. After a gorgeous little instrumental to kick off the album, "Genau'", the band blast into high gear with "Hypnosis' a fiery number that blends energetic prog-rock (emphasis on the 'ROCK') with funk and jazz, complete with blistering guitar licks and solos, acrobatic rhythms, and excellent vocal interplay. "Something New" is charming & quirky, the title track a dreamy slice of pop, the soaring slow build of "Solid State", and the bouncy & muscular prog of "Bring It Back" (the latter two both exceeding 8-minutes) all signal a band that really enjoyed their time in the studio on this one. Love the melodic, quite jazzy earthiness of "Never Ending Circle", and closer "Fear in the Night" contains those soaring vocal harmonies and concise use of musical layers that Rob Groucutt's father Kelly helped contribute to during the glory years of the Electric Light Orchestra.
Excellent work all around from the entire band, with industry veterans Andy Edwards & John Jowitt as always forming a potent rhythm team, and both Rob & Mirron balancing out their vocals and guitar parts quite nicely. In the end, Radio Silence is a strong modern progressive rock album that is easy to recommend.
Rob Groucutt: Vocals, Guitar , Keys
Mirron: Vocals, Guitar
Andy Edwards, Drums plus additional instruments
John Jowitt: Bass
Track Listing
1. Genaú
2. Hypnosis
3. Something New
4. Radio Silence
5. Solid State
6. Bring it Back
7. Never Ending Circle
8. Winter Sun
9. Fear in the Night
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