NESS
Up Late With People
(High Pilot)
 

This really came from out of the blue. I mean, sure the press release typically hypes it to the max with comparisons to Rod Argent, Ray Davies, Scott Walker, Cheap Trick, Sweet and um Yes (?) and you wondering how do you take any of this seriously.

Especially when the opening “Where the People Kick It” is a glorious mélange of glam rock and garage punk where Marc Bolan jams with Iggy & the Stooges into boogie heaven. Well and good, but this doesn’t prepare you for the soft pop keyboard intro to “Let’s Vaporize” which then morphs into what I can only safely describe as psychedelic grunge. By the time, the Flaming Lips trippy whimsy of “Cosmoa” hits, a flicker of realization settles – ah, eclecticism, what a concept!

And the rest of this intriguing album inexorably lives up to its hype and even more and ultimately arrives at the 12 minute-plus title track which is an innovative trek through the diverse styles and tones of our beloved rock music in the best tradition of 70s prog rock sans the pomp and artifice. Imagine Genesis and Jethro Tull at their absolute peak with the roots of classic pop & rock of the last four decades as their inspiration.

A wonder to behold. A+ www.nessmusic.com