Greenwood, John: Dark Blue

You are probably most familiar with John Greenwood as a member of the Australian progressive rock ensemble Unitopia, which has been around for a number of years now. On his first solo album titled Dark Blue, the multi-instrumentalist Greenwood has help from a number of guests including Sean Timms (Unitopia), Craig Blundell (Frost, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson), Steve Unruh (Samurai of Prog, Resistor, United Progressive Fraternity), and Nick Magnus (Steve Hackett).

Greenwood does not mince words regarding the concept, an examination of the flawed nature of humanity, covering everything from government corruption, human impact on climate change, and the mishandling of the pandemic. Now, while the lyrics don’t fill my head with happy thoughts, this album has been a real joy to listen to. The art and craftsmanship that went into this platter is of the highest caliber and it shows on nearly every track beginning with the album opening “A Little Piece of Rosco Vidal�. A dreamy intro with wisps of keyboards and synths, very lush and when Greenwood’s clean guitar enters the music takes on a Floyd vibe. Greenwood has a good voice and his enhanced spoken word vocals work well to effectively convey the story (the 2020 lockdown). The added female vocals blend nicely, the music shifting through Beatles-like melodies, circus sounds, and gentle acoustic guitar along with rich Mellotron strings. A big plus is Blundell’s drumming, his tone and crispness gives these tunes a vibrancy that is easily defined. A beautiful acoustic guitar begins “Too Late!� featuring Sarah Greenwood’s tasteful violin, Greenwood’s guitar led crescendos, lovely background harmonies and rich Mellotron choirs. “Too Late! Reprise� is a short orchestral piece leading into the sixteen minute epic “The Ocean�, pure class with its slow builds, delicate acoustic guitar, dynamic electric leads, and thought provoking arrangements. Perhaps my favourite is an excellent rendition of the Genesis classic “Afterglow� where Greenwood’s guitar and Blundell’s drumming are both album highlights.

If you are a fan of art/progressive rock with excellent vocals and superb melodies look no further than Dark Blue. Highly recommended!

Track Listing:
1. A Little Piece of Rosco Vidal
2. Too Late!
3. Too Late! Reprise (introducing The Ocean)
4. The Ocean
5. Requiem
6. Heartless
7. Inside
8. Packin’ my Suitcase
9. The Kiss (Nick Magnus orchestration)
10. Afterglow
11. A Proper Song
Bonus Material
12. Packin’ my Suitcase (retro mix)
13. The Kiss (John Greenwood orchestration)

Added: February 15th 2025
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Bandcamp
Hits: 160
Language: english

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