Canterbury style; Neo psych
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Latest album: Apricity (2016)
Latest EP/Single: Nobody's Fault By My Own (2019) (as Jack Hues and The Quartet featuring Syd Arthur)
Apricity (2016)
Apricity is the 3rd album from Syd Arthur and sees the band shifting away from late 60s/early 70s Canterbury style prog rock, to one of a more modern band. They still retain their "Englishness" as it were, and the vocals still possess that Richard Sinclair soft affectation. But it's applied differently. Syd Arthur has bet the farm on their ability to craft a good song, because they are no longer obfuscating it with instrumental flights of fancy. Which for this author is a bit of a disappointment. 10 tracks in the 4 minute range, without much variation within, is a tall order and there are times the album tends to blend together. Admittedly they do have a knack for penning thoughtful compositions. In some ways they are to the Canterbury scene what Stereolab was to Krautrock. That is, there's no denying it's a modern interpretation, but it does not lack for charm. All the same, I'd like to see the band return to a progressive rock slant, where they mix the best of both worlds.
---2/18/17
Sound Mirror (2014)
For Syd Arthur's second album, they are now signed to Harvest Records. What? Harvest is still around? The label used to be a guarantee of a thought provoking record. I haven't seen the wonderful day-glo yellow and green letter label for years (other than from my vintage LP collection of course). And too bad the CD is only silver and black without the yellow/green colors, oh well (though they were kind enough to make the inner sleeve emerald green - well, it's something!). One would hope EMI hasn't desecrated the label, though I'm sure they've put drivel on it over the years. Just don't tell me about it. Ignorance is bliss.
Oh, Sound Mirror - right. Let's get on with it shall we? So how would they follow the brilliant On an On? I'm in a 1970 MG convertible, roaring down the A2, with a smashing blond girl in black thigh high go-go boots and long lashes. Hey, this is working out well! She giggled and it was translated in Swedish. Yeaaaaaaaa!
---9/21/14
On an On (2012)
When you name your band Syd Arthur, you're just begging to be compared to late 60s Pink Floyd combined with any number of whimsical early 70s UK progressive bands. And in Syd Arthur's case, given the band's home locale of Canterbury (really? you have to be from there, huh?), I think the indigenous reference has Pye Hastings' Caravan all over this. Well, one could do worse than be the missing link between Caravan's first album and If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You. I found the songwriting to be particularly enlightened here (do I hear a melody? Why, I do!), way beyond the usual mimicry that modern bands seem to think they achieve by throwing analog instruments at some skeleton of a composition, and going 4/4 time with slabs of fuzz hoping to gain some sort of 1971 street cred and falling straight on their tattoo of a jester. And Syd Arthur gets that. My, how they do. Not sure how these kids managed to plug themselves into the spirit of the 1970 UK era, but they've done a tremendous job on the cleverly titled On an On (yet perhaps another reference to Caravan's similarly cleverly titled second album). Too much so, if I can interpret the lost look on most hipster's faces. "Uh... dude. Wait... I don't get it, man" while fiddling to get their nose ring just right. Then there's the fact that one of the quartet is primarily featured on violin. Now they've really done it - going all Northern Irish and all that rot. Yea, it's Fruupp at the time of Future Legends. No one thought about that, did they? That's what Genius Hans is here to do. Remind everyone of what they're hearing, even if the band themselves aren't sure. And the psychedelic guitar and absolute brilliant vocals (another vestige from a bygone era - no emotive whining here - nope, just pure psych harmony bliss). Hey Syd Arthur? Thanks for bringing psychedelic styled songwriting back into progressive rock. You guys are awesome! Can't wait to hear what's next.
---4/8/14
9/21/14 (new entry)
