#The Kentish Spires #progressive rock #retro-Canterbury Scene #progressive folk rock #progressive jazz rock
Lucie Vox has a very English voice, and at times I find myself being reminded of Maggie Bell or Chrissie Hammond. Musically The Kentish Spires have obviously been heavily influenced by the Canterbury scene, and there is just no way that this sounds as if it has been released in 2018. The use of a real sax makes a huge difference in the sound, while the Hammond organ is used to provide wonderful footnotes and trills, and Lucie either sings in a distinctively English accent or can provide 'Great Gig In The Sky" style vocals in the background while the instruments take the lead. Perhaps it isn't surprising, given the pedigree of those involved, that this never comes across as a debut album from a virtually unknown band, as it is incredibly polished yet still contains the exuberance and stylings of bands such as Procol Harum, and it certainly feels as if it was recorded fifty years ago as opposed to now. There is a sense of fun and enjoyment in the album, one can almost feel everyone looking at each other and smiling as the songs are recorded. Numbers such as "Spirit Of The Skies" are bright and full of light, even if again it all sounds very dated indeed. It doesn't take long for the listener to feel that this sense of authenticity and return to the early days of the progressive rock movement is very much part of the overall sound and it is to be welcome and enjoyed for what it is. When the flute and piano are bouncing off each other all the listener can do is close their eyes and just go with the flow, become one with it all. Traditional progressive music, if there is such a thing, is rarely better than this, and it is incredible to realize that this is just the debut. From: https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=10638
