SALEM HILL: MIMI’S MAGIC MOMENT (Stock # 505055)

For a long time now, this band have ploughed their own furrow in the world of prog-rock, managing to play songs that somehow resolutely refuse to sound like anyone else around, so much so that it’s almost impossible to spot exactly which influences are at work, while at the same time appreciating the writing and arranging for what it is. This new studio album is no less a challenge, with 4 tracks over sixty-two minutes, 3 lasting fifteen, nineteen and twenty one minutes respectively, and, as a result, there’s plenty of extended instrumental sections to get into. On the opener, the fifteen minute: ‘The Joy Gem’, partly thanks to a contribution from violinist David Ragsdale, the echo that comes to mind is bizarrely enough, a mix of Mainhorse & Caravan. The instrumental work is a positive delight as the synths, violin and guitar ring out to proggy greatness, as the track twists and turns. It slows down to just piano, before the vocals re-enter in high-range manner, then tender vocal duelling ensues as the track returns to its sedate path. Nothing is as you’d expect, as a vibraphone solo chimes above the slowly flowing backdrop as the song gathers harmonies and moves onwards. The seven minute: ‘All Fall Down’ sounds more like a cross between mid–late sixties Beatles with slowly anthemic Neal Morse as the song flows with rippling piano, solid rhythms and a neatly executed electric slide guitar solo. An electric mandolin then appears, with flute dancing on top, then the whole thing takes on a distinctly Tull-esque quality up to the six and a half minute point as the vocal returns and the song begins to fade. The twenty-one minute: ‘Stolen By Ghosts’ again takes on a more Caravan styled flavour, although even this as a comparison is only telling a small part of the story, as the song moves in that sort of balladeering, slowly building, dropping then building to even greater heights type of thing, even to the extent of some superb sounding seventies-esque organ, bass and guitar work in the extended instrumental part of the piece, with the violin once more appearing to add the icing on the cake, albeit briefly. ’The Future Me’ ends the album with another track that twists and turns instrumentally, even before the song portion has begun. This time round the music exhibits a solid early Yes feel and sound. As the synths fly in, the whole thing goes a few years ahead to the mid seventies then drops down just over five minutes in, as the vocals finally emerge. Then the song goes through fourteen minutes of chameleon-like changing to become the most prog-rock sounding epic they’ve created so far, and a great way to end the album.

Track List:
01. The Joy Gem (15:03)
02. All Fall Down (7:14)
03. Stolen By Ghosts (21:30)
04. The Future Me (18:53)

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