▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Ed Bernard ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Polydactyl █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-10-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: ED ID Productions ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ My jealousy of Ed Bernard knows no bounds. Why? █ █ Well letÆs back up and explain who he is, for █ █ those who are unaware. Ed Bernard is the █ █ guitarist, well okay multi-instrumentalist behind █ █ the band Druckfarben. If you donÆt know them, you █ █ need to go check them out as well. Ed can play so █ █ many different instruments, itÆs quite unfair to █ █ refer to him as just a guitarist. Though his █ █ guitar playing is sublime. This leads to my █ █ jealousy. █ █ EdÆs solo album ôPolydactylö showcases Ed, as a █ █ solo album should. He does virtually all the █ █ instruments, except the drums AND he sings. This █ █ includes: mandolins, guitars, violin, bass, and █ █ keyboards. He is a virtuoso on ALL of these █ █ instruments plus as I said he sings and I love his █ █ rich voice. He wrote, mixed and produced █ █ ôPolydactylö as well. I hate him. How does one █ █ person have all this talent?!? ItÆs really not █ █ fair to people like me with no real talent at all. █ █ The album starts with an instrumental in the █ █ spirit of SpockÆs Beard called ôSymfoprogru.ö ItÆs █ █ technical as hell yet quite melodic; a perfect █ █ showcase for EdÆs playing. The song really sets █ █ the tone for the rest of the album. █ █ ôDerealizationö was released via Bandcamp ahead of █ █ the album. This 8 plus minute song has an █ █ unforgettable melody, one that I found myself █ █ singing along to after only a few listens. The █ █ song makes a few amazing detours along the way, █ █ culminating with EdÆs superb violin playing. What █ █ a GREAT track. It has a bit of a Steven Wilson █ █ meets Rush vibe. █ █ The next track ôEntitledö should be released as a █ █ single. If we were back in the 70s, this song █ █ would actually get played. ItÆs a bright, upbeat █ █ song with great harmonies. Yes meets Genesis at a █ █ mellotron store. ôEyes Everywhereö opens with some █ █ nifty mandolin playing because Ed can play that █ █ too. The bass line is very reminiscent of Chris █ █ Squire. The song has a jazzy verse with yet █ █ another KILLER chorus that I have to sing along █ █ with. Just a fantastic track. █ █ ôRunningö was the second track I heard off █ █ ôPolydactyl.ö I remember getting a message from Ed █ █ which he said to check out this song. I sat there █ █ and listened to this song and was dumb founded. It █ █ reminds me a bit of ôEntangledö by Genesis with an █ █ even stronger chorus than that song. The other █ █ difference is that ôRunningö kicks in and really █ █ takes off. Amazing keyboard work, mandolins, and █ █ more harmonies than you can believe. █ █ The fact that Ed is such a skilled mandolin player █ █ adds an element to this album that many prog █ █ artists just donÆt have. ItÆs cool that bands like █ █ Gazpacho actually have someone who plays violin █ █ and mandolin. ôWithywindleö is an instrumental █ █ that actually reminds me a bit of Gazpacho since █ █ it focuses on those instruments along with an █ █ organ and other vintage keyboards. █ █ ô1000 Hatesö is a good old kick ass prog rocker █ █ tune. It has a nice mix of the acoustic █ █ instruments along with electric guitar work during █ █ the chorus. ôThe Quiet Raceö is a little funky █ █ which is yet another side of Mr. Bernard who by █ █ now is just rubbing my nose in his ability. This █ █ song is the must Druckfarben like as far as I am █ █ concerned which is natural but also cool that you █ █ can feel the link to what Ed has done before. █ █ ôBring it Homeö does just that. ItÆs a nice all █ █ acoustic folk number. █ █ ôPolydactylö is a true solo album by an amazing █ █ talent that deserves to be heard by the masses. █ █ Yes, Ed Bernard has the chops but more importantly █ █ he writes great songs with strong hooks and █ █ melodies. Add in that the artwork has cats on it █ █ (I love cats) since the title references cats born █ █ with extra toes. Maybe Ed has extra fingers!! █ █ There has to be an explanation for how great this █ █ album is. This album is essential if you consider █ █ yourself a fan of true progressive rock. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Ed Bernard, is a name that probably will not ring █ █ any bells when someone heared the name, but is one █ █ of the most talented multi instrumentalist in last █ █ almost a decade. Being member and founder of █ █ already well respected prog band Druckfarben, he █ █ released his first album in 2015 under his name. █ █ Polydactyl is the name of the release and from █ █ start to finish is a winner for sure. If he has to █ █ prove once more how great guitarist it is, then █ █ must check this one out, plus he has a pleasent █ █ voice. Also he has some guests here from famous █ █ canadian band FM, plus his mate from Druckfarmen █ █ Phil Naro on voice. The album beggining with █ █ strong instrumental piece named Symfoprogru, █ █ really awesome opning where Ed really shines. █ █ Derealization or Running are awesome aswell, like █ █ the rest of the pieces. A quite eclectic album, █ █ from symphonic parts, to little bit of jazzier █ █ moments , sometimes he doesn't get far away from █ █ Druckfarben sound, but all in all is more then ok █ █ release , that was a pleasent listning for me from █ █ first to last tune. 3.5 stars for sure, that is █ █ meaning good towards great in places. Worth to be █ █ investigated. A nice package aswell. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Symfoprogru 3:20 ░ ░ 2. Derealization 8:16 ░ ░ 3. Entitled 4:02 ░ ░ 4. Eyes Everywhere 7:34 ░ ░ 5. Running 6:14 ░ ░ 6. Withywindle 3:37 ░ ░ 7. 1000 Hates 6:00 ░ ░ 8. The Quiet Race 5:56 ░ ░ 9. Bring it Home 3:10 ░ ░ 48:09 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░