MarsupiaL “Genus Thylacinus” (Eigenproduktion, VÖ: 24.03.2009)
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MarsupiaL “Genus Thylacinus” (self-produced, release date: 2009-03-24)
Ian Reardon (g, voc), Forrest Smith (g), Brad Mehder (b) and Chris Carter (dr, voc) come from Asheville, North Carolina, USA. The capital L at the end of MarsupiaL is not the only extravagance that the band allows itself. Although the songs are not, as the press release announces, the brightest star in the Prog sky — the mix of jam- and jazz-rock has too few links to Prog and Psychedelic for it to be offered as Progressive Rock — the instrumental expanded song landscape nevertheless creates a proper mood and maintains it on a high level.
The quartet composes emotionally dense arrangements that are not especially complex, and allow extended guitar solos and duets to thrive in the virtuoso center. The harmony vocals of the two singers — two voices intone the choruses — sound, if I may say so, a little “risky” here and there. It seems that the music’s own harmonic language fades a bit. The verses have broad conceptual simplicity; the song creates the partial impression of late seventies Wishbone Ash playing (after their big time) in search of inspiration from earlier. Here and there are wide country-folk touches, on the CSN-chorus songs with spicy Lynyrd Skynyrd guitars racing around (without coming really close to the high-intensity names mentioned).
No question, the songs are appealing compositions; have character and make an impression; are engaging and strongly expressive. Prog(ressive Rock), however, it is not. A great American rock band with folk and jazz in their roots, which understands the intensely tuneful reflective harmonic beauty of long expansive songs.
