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Mostly Autumn:
Passengers
Most of the music I listen to doesnt have much mass appeal, and, for one reason or other, I can generally understand why. But every once in a while, I find myself really enjoying a band that I think should be huge. Mostly Autumn is one of those bands. I really dont get why these guys havent sold a few bazillion albums yet. To let you in on the secret, Mostly Autumn is a Celtic-edged, progressive folk-rock band from York, England. Led by super-talented vocalist/guitarist Brian Josh and gorgeous vocalist Heather Findlay, they play lush atmospheric rock tied together with some truly massive pop hooks. The looming question is whether Passengers lives up to the seemingly absurd hype of the previous paragraph. In a word: yes. The songwriting is very solid, and the album contains a welcome amount of diversity from slower and folksier tunes, to a few rockin numbers, to some epic atmospheric pieces. Perhaps even more so than previous albums, Passengers is lush and oozing with rich instrumentation. In addition to employing the standard electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and drums, Mostly Autumn also uses a slide guitar, synthesizers, an organ, a flute, penny whistles, violins, cellos, and a few other instruments that Ive never heard of (though not necessarily all at once). Of note, keyboardist Iain Jennings seems to be more upfront in the mix this time around. This is a good thing, since he is a great keyboard player. Just listen to those classical piano arpeggios of Somewhere in Between or the clanging chords in the outro of Answer the Question. Awesome! Regardless of how thick you like your musical atmosphere, the songwriting stays very tasteful throughout despite the songs being heavily layered. If anyone can pull off this many instruments, its Mostly Autumn. On an individual song level, some highlights include Pure White Light, Bitterness Burnt, and Pass the Clock. The first is sure to blow you away with its exciting hooks. The second is a folksy tune that will leave you with only one question: could Heather Findleys vocals be any prettier? Answer: probably not. And the last is a three-part song that is a true Mostly Autumn epic. Even Caught in the Fold, which on first listen seems to risk being kind of cheesy, makes up for it with pure Celtic-tinged power and a ultra-catchy flute arrangement. Yeah, I know. Ultra-catchy flute arrangement sounds a little bit suspicious. This isnt Yanni though. Its good, I promise. I cant know your musical tastes, fine reader. Perhaps Mostly Autumn is not your cup of tea. But is operating on that belief worth the risk of never discovering them? I think you see what Im getting at. In short: get Passengers. Then get everything else that has to do with this fantastic band.
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