Whimsical Creature is the latest outlet for the songs of Michael Whiteman, whose prolific writing brought us I Am The Manic Whale, as well as Spock’s Beard keyboard maestro Ryo Okumoto’s most recent solo album. Here he teams up with the talented Ella Lloyd, for a more acoustic approach in his very recognisable writing style. Wistful Thinking is their first album; Ella plays soaring flute, shimmering autoharp, and glockenspiel as well as singing, and Michael does everything else, but in an acoustic setting.
As is usually the case, Michael Whiteman tends to write on diverse and unexpected subjects, unearthing stories which are often obscure, but always entertaining. The soundscape is based around acoustic guitar, flute and piano in the main with a folky vibe, but often incorporating tricky little moments of prog complexity, just to keep things fresh and exciting. In Ella Lloyd, Michael has found a musical partner who complements his style, and adds her own personality, often carrying the melodic sweep of the songs with scintillating flute playing which epitomises the character of Whimsical Creature.
The songs cover a range of thought provoking subjects, from his amusing take on AI (Better Than This?), and the sublime story of the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly (A Journey of Five Lifetimes), to a song about the channel tunnel (The Undersea Tunnel) and an account of a great twentieth century hoax (A Way With The Fairies). Each has been researched and written with attention to detail, but in a way which entertains and informs at the same time. From: https://theprogressiveaspect.net/blog/2025/08/31/whimsical-creature-wistful-thinking/
