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Rhys Marsh: October After All
BySteven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, No Man), collaborator, vocalist Tim Bowness and other notables lend their wares, but Marsh's radio-friendly comps, outlined with harmonically attractive motifs also span indie rock, psyche rock and other offshoots. As several movements feature soothing keys, moody sax parts and dark-toned synth lines with some jazzy elements interspersed into the big schema, evidenced on "Golden Lullabies" and elsewhere. But his layered keys and prolific bass lines add a dense wall of sound in support of his lovely hooks and lyrically rich comps.
" The Butterflies" begins with Marsh's tender acoustic guitar parts and sings with warmhearted undertones, and soars via his falsetto choruses in line with another hummable melody and wistful theme, shaded with what sounds like a Mellotron-based backwash. Here, 1970s prog antiquity is shadowed by his corpulent analog synth phrasings, along with a bit of oomph towards the finale. Similar treatments reappear during "22" due to haunting keys-based flute patterns atop a harmonious narrative. In short, Marsh deserves greater recognition and, in theory, could enjoy widespread appeal from a cross-genre perspective if afforded more global awareness. Note: there are 10 additional 'bonus' songs on the downloadable version.
Track Listing
River; Long Way Back; Golden Lullabies; Ride The New Wave; The Butterflies; Let It Be Known!; One Hundred Memories; The Summer Days; '22'; (It Will Be) October After All.
Personnel
Rhys Marsh
vocalsRhys Marsh: performer, composer, production & mixing; Arve Henriksen: trumpet; Kåre Kolve: saxophone; Tale Vang Ellefsen: chorus vocals; Roar Øien: chorus vocals; Rohey Taalah: chorus vocals; Silje Leirvik: chorus vocals; Anders Bjermeland: chorus vocals; Tim Bowness: chorus vocals; Ole Kristian Malmedal: chorus vocals; Vilde Aakre Lie: chorus vocals.
Album information
Title: October After All | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Karisma Records