Mostly Autumn - 2001 - The Last Bright Light 256

MOSTLY AUTUMN — The Last Bright Light Review by Tony Fisher(at Progarchives.com)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Specialist

I did not think that Mostly Autumn could ever top The Spirit Of Autumn Past, but theymay have done so with this album. It's hard to define their style: they havesmatterings of Renaissance or Capercaillie in the beautiful female vocals and folkystyle, the guitar solos and keyboards can sound like Floyd or Marillion and they useflute like Camel, Tull or early Genesis. Many of their songs have a slightlyotherworldly feel about them as if they were inspired by Lord of the Rings. Thisalbum introduces a new rhythm section with Andy Smith on bass and Jonathan Blackmoreon drums; talented musicians who play their part in full.

They kick off with a short reprise of the pipes at the end of The Gap Is Too Widefrom the previous album called Just Moving On, then go into we Come And We Go, agentle slow song with some fine guitar and a theme of human mortality, sung by BryanJosh in his rather lazy, deep voice. Birdsong leads into Half The Mountain, anothertruly beautiful Josh song about loss (the death of his father?) culminating in ashort but delightful guitar solo. Eyes Of The Forest introduces the voice of HeatherFindlay, the finest female vocalist in prog. The song is a gentle song aboutenvironmental destruction, beautifully backed by acoustic guitar, flute and cello.

Then it's full tilt into concert favourite The Dark Before The Dawn, with AngelaGoldthorpe's flute and Iain Jennings keyboards driving Josh's vocals along until abrilliant guitar solo takes over. Hollow is another slow haunting song, reminiscentof Evergreen on the last album, and sung equally well by Heather Findlay withJennings providing some masterful keyboards.

Prints In The Stone is folky, featuring some lovely low whistle and vocals by LiamDavison, then into the title track, which after a folky start changes into a fullblown 8 minute epic with fine keyboards and a guitar solo of epic proportions. NeverThe Rainbow lets Heather Findlay really let rip and has a sing along chorus andmajestic keyboards, ending in another lightning guitar solo. Shrinking Violet isanother exquisitely beautiful Findlay song about loneliness and the fear of takingchances and the vocal harmonies are perfection.

Helms Deep is a fast folky instrumental, at first full of acoustic guitars, flute andrecorders but then introducing a Hammond solo of Emersonian proportions along withbattle noises and pipes before a final guitar solo. Which Wood? is a classicalsounding Goldthorpe piece with flute and acoustic guitar backed with bodhran andharpsichord. Mother Nature is a complex 12 minute Josh epic which is mostly slow buthas an exciting fast section with thunder and some fine keyboards and a gentle butmelodic guitar solo at the end.

This album has quickly (I've had it just 3 weeks and it's not been off my CD player)joined a very small but select band (Argus, The Snow Goose, The Tain) with which Ican find no fault, no way of improving it. 5* is not adequate for such a work ofgenius but will have to suffice. An utterly essential masterpiece and the best albumrecorded since 1975.

Posted Thursday, December 22, 2005, 12:25 EST