▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Elephants of Scotland ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Perfect Map █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-01-03 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: self-released ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Elephants of Scotland's "The Perfect Map" was a █ █ bit of an item a few months ago. In a single week, █ █ I encountered reviews of this album on three █ █ different forums. I was a little disappointed that █ █ the band is not from Scotland but I ordered the █ █ album anyway. From the beginning, I liked it and █ █ after several plays spread out between several █ █ other incoming purchases, I like it a whole lot █ █ more. █ █ The general description of the music can be █ █ complex, frequently busy, and energetic █ █ progressive ROCK, with each song not only standing █ █ apart from the others in tempo and atmosphere but █ █ also receiving additional treatments to help make █ █ each song a stand-apart entity as well as a █ █ unifying part of the whole album. In short, I like █ █ that this album doesn't have a string of similar █ █ sounding songs. █ █ "Sun-Dipped Orphans and the Wizard's Teapot". What █ █ a title! Is this a Gong album? We start with a █ █ drum rhythm intro that sounds like it would fit █ █ right in to a big band number. It quickly turns █ █ into a prog piece with synthesizer effects, piano █ █ and a kind of dancing guitar riff. Indeed █ █ sun-dipped orphans are running about. "Sun-dipped █ █ orphans ran into the castle and in the great hall █ █ did make a pyramid of ten." I'll say it right now, █ █ though the music doesn't bring anything new to the █ █ table of modern prog and even sounds similar to █ █ what a lot of bands are doing, this is a rousing █ █ first track, lively and quick and the first track █ █ for me to call a favourite. █ █ But then "Counting on a Ghost" comes in with █ █ bursting synthesizer chords as an even faster █ █ paced number, frantic and speedy with a tinge of █ █ 80's Rush. Then just when you think you got this █ █ band sorted and labeled, they come in peacefully █ █ with "One By Sea", featuring Meagan Beaucage on █ █ vocals. It's like a sea chanty at first but then █ █ breaks into a proggy middle section before turning █ █ into a slightly more straightforward rock number. █ █ Alright. The going is good. █ █ Now comes "Swing the Gavel" with acoustic guitar █ █ and recorder, I think. This reminds me of the █ █ Celtic folk band who became alternative rock / █ █ folk fusion, Spirit of the West. This is like █ █ their early stuff from the mid-eighties. I should █ █ say here though a word about the vocals. I'm not █ █ sure who is the lead vocalist but there are █ █ moments when I feel he doesn't have the British █ █ touch that goes into a lot of the music and █ █ lyrics. At times the music has more power than he █ █ can muster and other times it sounds like someone █ █ who doesn't do British is trying to read █ █ Shakespeare. This does not mean that the vocals █ █ are bad. Not at all. But this music has a certain █ █ sound to it that requires a little more in some █ █ songs. █ █ "The Perfect Map" is musically simpler than other █ █ tracks so far but it has an eerie and haunting █ █ style that makes it yet another surprise. You █ █ really can't guess what this band is going to █ █ serve up track after track. Again, I like the █ █ variety! █ █ "Random Earth" really brings in some Rush sounds █ █ again, this time more like around "Counterparts" I █ █ feel. Dan McDonald's bass and John Whyte's guitar, █ █ not to mention Ornan McLean on drums and Adam █ █ Rabin's keyboards really bring that era of Rush to █ █ life here. At one point, I was thinking the vocals █ █ need a little something extra for this style of █ █ music though, and then suddenly a second voice █ █ came in with a higher register sounding almost █ █ like Geddy Lee! Of course the music goes beyond █ █ Rush; every song goes beyond what it seems to █ █ start out doing. And then the whole musical ride █ █ slows down with a short instrumental called "Fur █ █ Buddy" which is dedicated to a pet canine. █ █ To wrap it up, this album has been great to hear █ █ again and again and get to know each track for all █ █ their twists and turns. Excellently composed and █ █ performed music in my opinion. Anything less than █ █ impressive would be the sound of the vocals in a █ █ few places as I mentioned above and that basically █ █ what we have here is nothing that dozens of other █ █ bands aren't doing, meaning that there are a lot █ █ of talented musicians writing and playing █ █ excellent complex and exciting music. But I see it █ █ this way. You've got a chef who knows how to cook █ █ up exquisite dishes, and though you've had █ █ something like them before, these are still █ █ delectable. The chefs here are all of high calibre █ █ as their dishes prove. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Sun-Dipped Orphans and the Wizard's 6:07 ░ ░ Teapot ░ ░ 2. Counting on a Ghost 5:38 ░ ░ 3. One by Sea 4:39 ░ ░ 4. Swing the Gavel 5:36 ░ ░ 5. The Perfect Map 7:41 ░ ░ 6. Random Earth 9:29 ░ ░ 7. Fⁿr Buddy 2:08 ░ ░ 41:18 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░