Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
It is written in the Universe that all things must begin, and all things must change, that to bring in the new is not only important but allows entropy to rust silently at the gates of dawn, of the meeting of the old and of the experimental creations.
It is in this Cosmic Ceilidh that the handshake with time is explored, and where invitations to welcome in the positive and alluring starts can be found, and there is perhaps no more surprising, and yet superbly edifying foundation to a new universe than that imagined and fully conceived by Broon, also known as the multi-instrumentalist Steve Brown, has presented in his debut album Cosmic Ceilidh.
The commentators will always wonder why it took someone an eternity to do anything, insisting that you should always be ready to launch something that defines you; what they fail to understand is that the Cosmos does not work that way, our plans are not bigger than the intentions of what is around us, we just have to be content in the knowledge that when the time is right, the cosmos will allow us into that special meeting place and whisper in our ear, do you want to do something incredible.
The incredible will happen, and for Broon and with musical contributions on various songs from John Whyte, Pete Harbridge, and incredibly, drums by Rush’s much missed Neil Peart, the description of the cosmic is absolute and apt, for the soft interludes charm and the space in between them is a collected powerhouse of emotions that induce the sense of seismic that the album insists upon onto the soul of the listener with dynamic pleasure.
Though the album should be heard from start to finish, as you would with perhaps any classical piece, it is possible to play with the order in your mind, and as tracks such as The JK Express, the combination of Soar and Sky Cottage which merge into the outstanding Hope Part I and II, Arisaig Boogie, which features the delicious talent on Pete Harbridge and John Whyte, the nod to Rush in The Devil Came To Glenuig, The Great Unmastered, which exposes the beauty of Neil Peart’s drum loops and the finale of a healthy and tremendous piece of musicianship, Slainte Mhath give creedence to the idea that the Cosmos is listening, patiently waiting for the moment when it is right for you to leave your mark in the stars.
A breath-taking experience, Broon’s Cosmic Ceilidh is a box of treasure ready to be opened with eager anticipation.
Broon’s Cosmic Ceilidh is out now.
Ian D. Hall