Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The art of the Progressive mind is one that is steeped in revolution whilst not willing to trade personal creativity for the temptation of fame, fortune, or compromising with the Devil who calls the tune it doesn’t stop them from expanding the nature of their art, from being willing souls wanting to embark on a new adventure.
Whether it is in the imagination of the battlefield as they tackle the stealth of beige and the rounds fired by the demographic of the dull, or as the Captain Of The Lost Waves who seeks new horizons in which to come about full sail and capture the treasure available in the form of hearts and minds as they encounter thehidden gems, the result in the end is the same, one of progressive tendencies sought, captured, and framed for all to marvel at.
The Captain in this case has sailed the oceans in search of a bounty that the crew and the loved ones standing upon the docks of Liverpool, Southampton, and Whitby, could only dream of witnessing as its waved from the deck of the good ship, as it is paraded through the town as if it was in the realm of miracles, and yet there is much more to the new album by Captain Of The Lost Waves, Hidden Gems Chapter 3 – Mysterium Tremendum, for in its progressive pursuit it actually becomes an incalculable release that is pure gold, untarnished, remarkable, gold.
The name is arguably still wrapped under the cover of innocence as far as the greater audience is concerned, but the treat missed does not mean it has been ignored, and as tracks such as A Million Light Bulbs, Getaway Drivers, Animals On An Island, the superb Death Of The Attention Span, How Big The Small Can Be, Plastic Flowers For The Stone Hearts, and the thrilling finale of the album’s title track, Mysterium Tremendum, what comes through is attention, not a demand, there is far too much class within the soul of the artist for that, but of command of pleasure that is evident, the bliss of the willingness to be taken on a journey, strange, intriguing, perhaps unexpected but nevertheless extraordinary, and it is amazing from start to finish.
Hidden Gems, hidden no more, for in is reveal so the mystery is explained, and for the Captain Of The Lost Waves, this latest release is one of remarkable vision and dedication; absolutely outstanding.
Ian D. Hall