▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Ray Wilson ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Makes Me Think of Home █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-01-03 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Jaggy D ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Ray Wilson has been very busy this year. Earlier █ █ this year he released an all acoustic album called █ █ æSongs For a Friendö and just 6 months later, █ █ comes the rock album æMakes Me Think of HomeÆ. █ █ Over the years, his songwriting has continued to █ █ improve and with this album he really lets his █ █ incredible voice be heard in the best way it was █ █ intended. After years of creating albums with █ █ great music, Wilson might have finally written his █ █ best album, a collection of his most daring █ █ material with brilliant lyrics and melodies. █ █ Throughout the 10 songs on æHomeÆ, Wilson tells █ █ various stories of loss, redemption and just █ █ trying to live a fulfilling life. The opener is a █ █ song U2 wishes they could write these days, as █ █ Wilson asks ôHow much can you take, and how long █ █ can you wait, to be alive?ö The songs starts off █ █ mid-tempo, but explodes into a intense rock track. █ █ On ôTennessee Mountainö Wilson returns to his █ █ acoustic roots for a country vibe which suits his █ █ voice brilliantly. ôWorship the Sunö is a haunting █ █ ballad where Wilson promises ôForever and always, █ █ IÆll tryö. Much of the mix of the album done in a █ █ manner to allow WilsonÆs voice to fill the spaces █ █ and stand right up front and on tracks like ôSunö █ █ it works perfectly. █ █ The centerpiece of the album is the title track. █ █ Here Wilson comes closest to his Prog side. At █ █ near 8 minutes, it is the longest track he has █ █ recorded in a while. The somber tone and tempo █ █ recalls recent Marillion material, in fact, you █ █ can picture what Steve Hogarth would sound like █ █ covering this song. The great contrast to this █ █ song is the following track, the sarcastic ôAmen █ █ to Thatö. This is one of the album highlights and █ █ shows Wilson in a way he has never sounded before. █ █ In further contrast, ôDonÆt Wait For Meö sounds █ █ like a track that could have been left over from █ █ his sessions with Genesis. The album closes on two █ █ of the strongest tracks, the wonderful, melodic █ █ ballad ôCalvin and Hobbesö and the █ █ western-inspired ôThe Spiritö █ █ This is a varied and diverse collection of songs █ █ by one of the worldÆs great underrated songwriters █ █ and voices. Wilson has elevated his game this █ █ year, with 2 albums that showcase his immense █ █ talent. The stories told here are powerful and █ █ relatable, and the melodies undeniable. This is █ █ not loud, heavy or really all that Proggy, but █ █ simply for some great songs, this is absolutely an █ █ album worth checking out. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Never Should Have Sent You Roses 6:10 ░ ░ 2. The Next Life 3:41 ░ ░ 3. Tennessee Mountain 4:18 ░ ░ 4. Worship the Sun 5:02 ░ ░ 5. Makes Me Think of Home 7:56 ░ ░ 6. Amen to That 4:28 ░ ░ 7. Anyone Out There 4:01 ░ ░ 8. Don't Wait For 3:41 ░ ░ 9. Calvin and Hobbes 4:03 ░ ░ 10. The Spirit 3:43 ░ ░ 47:03 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░