Customer Reviews

Passengers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm so cheap that I'm not usually in the habit of buying a group's CD after I've heard some of their work on a sampler CD, as I'll just listen to those songs taking the chance the whole CD won't have anything better, but that's just what happened in this case--several months ago I bought an issue of Classic Rock (UK) magazine that was sealed with a sampler of this CD enclosed and I listened to it, was intrigued but I misplaced the sampler--I have been looking for the songs on a download for purchase site but since it doesn't look like this group is going to be included anytime soon, I went ahead and not only bought this CD but the "Greatest Hits" one also available through this site--as for the songs, it is a mixed bag of influences, on one song I hear a strong Celtic influence and on another I can hear snatches of Pink Floyd (the Waters/Gilmour era)--I only subtract a star as I'm still not too keen on the male/female singer dynamic which reminds me of Lacuna Coil (another mixed bag of songs group but their male singer is stronger) and would rather hear more of the female portion of the group--my favorite tracks are Distant Train and Answer the Question, the former an atmospheric, bluesy instrumental that definitely invokes the David Gilmour/"The Wall" guitar sound then leads dramactically into the latter track which is a driving rocker that showcases the male singer at his best with the female taking the chorus--towards the end of this song the piano takes over as main instrument and surprisingly sounds like a trance riff! Both songs are the highlights of the CD that has a in-concert/large auditorium quality that I would love to see and hear live--also this group has played as an opening act for Blackmore's Night which should also give you some idea of their sound--highly recommended for fans of prog rock and classic rock in the vein of such female-fronted bands like Heart and Reinassance.

It seems the past couple years have been something of a transition for Mostly Autumn: with four albums under their belts they'd also just released a double anthology, a live album/DVD as a summation of the story so far (pun intended), and just finished three official-bootleg live discs released through their website. So the first chapter of their history has drawn to a close, and all that remained was to see where they'd go next. And now.. they did it again. With Passengers they produced the most inspired, wondrous and enchanting album of their career. And just when I thought I'd gotten the hang of trying to describe how the band sounds, they changed all the rules.

Oh, don't worry - the trademark Autumn sound is still unmistakable. The marriage of hard rock and English/Celtic influences is as un-cliched and inspired as ever. Their magical way with melodies and the gorgeous guitar work are as breathtaking as before. Yet it still sounds different. "Caught in a Fold" is darkly sinuous and Heather Findlay's singing almost sounds downright grungy: something we never would have heard from these folks before. The opener "Something In Between" (with the catchiest 7/4 chorus in recent memory) is a fiery head-banger in the same vein as "Never The Rainbow" or "Noise From My Head," but sounds nothing like them. "Distant Train" is a wide-sweeping instrumental that Pink Floyd might almost have made if they'd ever thought of including a quick flute reel amid the atmospherics. Heather Findlay's golden voice appears more than ever before, and the album is all the more rich for it. Alongside the group's own hodgepodge of guitars, piano/synths, bodhran and flutes, a few guests drop in to add violin, whistles, Uillean pipes, bozouki and cello.

The band doesn't merely run through different moods in the course of an hour, they bring them all to life with a shocking vividness. "Pure White Light" soars with boundless energy. "Bitterness Burnt" is a quick-tempo lament given a medieval air with its weaving harpsichord/guitar, floating flute and beautiful violin. "Answer The Question" and "Simple Ways" are powerfully haunting but still undeniably beautiful, full of life in the midst of overpowering bleakness. "Pass The Clock" is another masterful Autumn epic; part dark hard-rock and part sad lament, but ending with the most brightly spirited and heart-lifting four minutes of music ever to be found on an MA album thus far.

Mostly Autumn's songwriting is sheer magic and their skill is undeniable, but it's the soul and passion behind everything they do that makes them a marvel not to be missed. If an import price on Passengers seems a little steep, there are six other fantastic releases to look into first.. I can't even recommend a particular one to start with since none of them are less than stellar. Catch the spirit and discover something you didn't know you've been missing.

The only Mostly Autumn I heard prior to my purchase of "Passengers" is the very good "Last Bright Light". While there were several songs I did not care for on LBL, I liked it enough to give "Passengers" a try. I am so glad I did.
"Passengers" has maybe one song that I felt was mediocre, otherwise I found it to be outstanding. I admit it took a couple of listens, but this disc is great prog rock. The heartwrenching "Bitterness Burnt", all Heather Findlay, is a personal favorite even though I tend to favor Josh tunes for thier Floydian flair. It is difficult to pick favorites from the other songs as they are all excellent, save one - I'll let the listener guess at which one I am refering to. I have to praise "The Simple Ways", "Passengers", "Answer the Question" and part 2 of "Pass the Clock" for superb songwriting, great guitar licks, and for being moody in just the right measure.
Because I like this disc so much I plan to get more "Mostly Autumn". I would encourage any discerning listener of prog rock to do the same.

Like Criderman,I also came to know of Mostly Autumn through the Classic Rock 4 track Sampler. I was hooked straight away,and immediately rang the Cyclops label and bought the 1st 3 CDs(I was advised they were the best-Thats another story),and also the Limited Edition Grand Opera House 2 DVD set (Which covers most of Passengers anyway). I also loved Distant Train and Answer the question, but it was "Caught in a fold" which especially got my attention. Heather Findlay has a damn fine voice full of emotion and power.At times you are reminded of Nancy WIlson of Heart. OK, there is a heavy influence,most notably Pink Floyd, but it is by no means a Rip-Off.The lyrics,for starters, are awe-inspiring,and I do enjoy the interchange of Vocals between Josh and Findlay (Especially on ANswer the Question).I only have one bit of advice for Heather though i.e. Let Brian do the singing on Pink Floyd songs by himself.

I love this cd. Just like previous reviews of Mostly Autumn cd's it's a nice mixture of Pink-Floyd, Genesis with Ritchie Blackmore thrown in. The best example is "Distant Train" an wonderful instrumental which sounds so much like a Pink-Floyd song (with Mr. Blackmore on guitar). Don't get me wrong
Tp hear Pink-Floyd, Genesis and Rainbow is great, but the band still has sound of their own,. I hope you give it a try, I did and I love them.

Previous releases by Mostly Autumn have created a high standard to maintain or exceed. Newcomers to Mostly Autumn can get a sense of style from reviews of previous releases. Suffice it to say you don't change a winning formula.

Although containing the key ingredients of the previous releases for me this lacks the edge given them by classics such as Heroes Never Die or the spine chilling Gap is Too Wide. It will work for others and is nevertheless a welcome addition to the Prog collection.

This band was quite hyped up with references to Pink Floyd and Genesis. The guitar lines sound like they were copied lick for lick from The Wall and flute solos copies from Jethro Tull. Many of the new "prog rock" bands (Spock's Beard) cite influences from the greats but only sound like cheap imitations. If you like the prog rock sound, check out Porcupine Tree and skip this band.