Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness

"Contemporary prog rock treasure."

Neal Morse -- the mastermind behind Spock's Beard -- is one of those rare, special people who has it all: a great ear for melody, a dazzling ability to compose great progressive rock songs, a great voice, a knack for writing memorable lyrics, and to top it all off he plays a mean guitar and he's a terrific pianist. With Beware of Darkness, him and the other members of Spock's Beard continue to create melodic and musically rich progressive rock.

I must say I'm uncomfortable talking about Spock's Beard in the context of a review because I can't possibly convey how much I like them. All I can really do is try and describe what they sound like. The band blends supra-catchy melodies with complex musicianship to derive a unique sound. While melody seems very important to the new wave of progressive music, Spock's Beard's pop quality sets them apart. I don't want to suggest that the pop-influence makes them sound pedestrian...rather, it enriches their sound.

Compared to the band's debut (The Light), which was fairly experimental, this album is more melodic and adopts shorter songs. There's lots of diversity too. The spiraling melodies of "Walking on the Wind" build to an emotional finale. "Thoughts" is purely quirky with its wacky instrumental interplay and offbeat vocals. "The Doorway" is one of the band's most cherished songs, with a killer piano opening, singable melodies, and a compelling acoustic interlude. "Waste Away" is a short rocker that is impossibly catchy, and "Chataqua" is a short acoustic number in the vein of "Mood for a Day". I think the album's masterpiece is the tragically underrated 16-minute epic "Time Has Come", with its slow-building melodic developments and incredibly complex production job (care of insanely talented Kevin Gilbert, RIP).

I hope you love 'em as much as I do.