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: : Wanderlust : :
I really liked their first album, Surface Serene. When I came across
this little unknown commodity, I wasn’t expecting much, but what I got
instantly grasped me. The music was odd, unique, and pleasant all at the
same time. The songwriting was thought out and technical. The songs
themselves were spontaneous and full of spirit. The music worked on many
different levels.
Now the band has the experience of a major festival under their belt
(that would be ROSfest 2004) as well as a guest appearance by the band’s
lead singer and keyboardist (Steve Katsikas) in the festival’s following
year. This not only makes them less unknown, but also dramatically
raises expectations for anything that would be subsequently supplied
from their studio.
So, the question then becomes… Can they meet this new demand?
It’s with great pleasure that I can say there will be plenty of material
on this new album to satisfy the needs of their newly-acquired admirers.
As much as I liked the previous album, this one comes together in a much
more cohesive fashion. You can tell this band has tightened all the nuts
and bolts and tapered all the loose ends. They’ve obviously worked
closer with one another in order to produce an astounding sophomore
release. When they went to write the material, they must have
accidentally lost the keys and gotten locked inside with one another for
a very long time.
Due to this collaborative approach, every component gets installed in a
completely unified manner. It all functions without friction. There
isn’t a cog in this machine that’s isn’t oiled and lubed profusely.
Steve Katsikas is the founder of the band and the sole songwriter who
fueled Surface Serene. He says he couldn’t have come up with all the
ideas on this new album if he wrote it all by himself. It’s obvious that
everyone in the band had equal say in the songwriting. The fact that one
individual isn’t acting alone and no single person is highlighted
exclusively here turns out to be the album’s greatest strength.
Here are the seven wondrous stories Little Atlas shares with us in
Wanderlust:
The Ballad of Eddie Wanderlust – The opening is ominous as alien
invaders plot an offensive on the unsuspecting inhabitants of our
planet. This has the aura of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds and its
anthem is something that’s straight out of Ayreon. Just when it seems
the end is near, a new hope is born. At this point in time, the
keyboards and drums rally the forces and strike back against these
unwelcome intruders. The bass and lead guitars turn on their amps, fire
up the afterburners, and take us on an ambitiously adventurous flight
against enemy aircraft. Minstrel-inspired instrumentals thwart this
hostile takeover. Somehow, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore as this
all this looks much too extraterrestrial for Little Atlas. Not until the
voice of Steve Katsikas enters into the equation does it finally become
obvious that this really is a Little Atlas tune. There are a number of
references to Yes and neo-prog scattered throughout this tale. It
manages to hit each side of the spectrum. Its expressions are really
quite over-the-top and moody. The instruments are more furious than ever
with a conduct that can certainly be classified as disorderly. Roy
Strattman should be proud of his signature style on the guitars. He’s
the closest I’ve seen any guitarist come to Steve Howe and yet he
manages to incorporate his own originality. If anything, his motions are
less like the swinging of an axe and more like the strumming of a harp.
He deserves a merit badge for his advanced development. Aside from Roy’s
guitar, the songwriting is another area that deserves much
accreditation. Songs like these will deem this band the highest
designation among the most hard-to-please fans.
Higher- This is the most likeable and listenable track, but the
transportation is awfully shaky (this is meant entirely in a good way).
We go through many different landscapes and themes buckled into a
rickety funhouse ride as we coast upon wobbly wheels. It takes us
through many corridors that meet us with sparks and flashing lights. You
never know what will pop up and greet us in the next room. There is even
one of those dreamy Pink Floyd passages shellacked somewhere into the
scenery during one of these wacky experiences. It’s like an obstacle
course where the target’s in sight, but detours, hurdles, and
obstructions take us often off the beaten path. We go through the
highest levels of inspiration and then spiral downward into the lowest,
darkest tunnels. We eventually make our way into a Shakespearian dream.
Trekking down this path, we witness a wayward creature playing a
melancholy melody on its wood-carved flute. Ultimately, we stay the
course and make it to where we originally intended to go. This could be
an attraction at Disneyworld, but then again, this is no small world
we’re traversing.
Weariness Rides – This is
like one of the shadowy sequences found on The Tangent’s World That We
Drive Through. Steve shows emphasis and empathy in the vocal verses. His
voice is soft as silk and smooth to the touch. However, the hectic
harmonies and intense instrumentals pull this delicate fabric apart.
There are several times where the guitars and keyboards go off
unattended. When this happens, they create much havoc before the
returning chorus reconnects the leash back to their collars. Like
mischievous mongrels, they’re sedate at times, stimulated at others, but
always unpredictable. The bite from their canine teeth rips this squishy
chew toy up into a number of tattered pieces.
The Prisoner – To be honest, portions of this song actually sound
similar to what can be found on Dream Theater’s Images and Words.
Multiple other premises such as hard rock, pop, and jazz are also
incorporated into this multiplex of music. If that’s not all, ELP is
even hard-wired into the wafer of this integrated circuit. With all
these influences stitched seamlessly throughout, the songwriting coming
out of it is outright outrageous. The keyboards splish n’ splash while
the guitars are wet n’ wild. Fortunately, this song is wearing its
psychedelically-stained swimsuit. Unlike the exhausting experience in
the last track, this one only features upbeat undulations and it’s
soaked from head to toe in some of the moistest melodies.
Home – Here we get spacey keyboards ala Tangerine Dream. These folks
sure studied their symphonic classics. As for the singing, it lies
somewhere over the rainbow in a world with witches, wizards, glitz, and
glamour. Once their adversaries are held at bay, a celebration is
underway to rejoice in their newfound freedom. It’s happy at times but
totally unfamiliar. As our darling daughter clicks her heals together,
she wishes her way back to a place that’s recognizable, a location
that’s, well, closer to home.
On and On – Strangely enough, this starts like Symphony X, but the tone
is only temporary. The song takes aim at a moving target. It begins by
revisiting the styles found in Surface Serene before it finally reverts
to jazz fusion. This is the most progressive piece I’ve ever heard from
this band yet. This song shows them taking their progressive nuances to
the next level and the results are remarkable. However, it’s got a ton
of scope creep. There is much growth between their albums and this song
attempts to reach the highest peak. Its trunk is firmly rooted in their
past, but reaches up into the great open sky. From the treetops of The
Flower Kings, Spock’s Beard, and other giant Redwoods, Little Atlas’
branches can be seen piercing through the rest of the forest’s forage.
While it’s strong instrumentally, the lyrics more than adequately
complement this extraordinary music. As an added bonus, the disc
contains a music video of this particular track. With the extra amenity,
one wouldn’t be lying if they told you it was double the pleasure,
double the fun.
Mirror of Life – The last song is a cleverly-written ballad. The evil
aliens catch nothing more than a common cold, but it quickly leads to
their demise. This foreign body wipes out the threat completely. It
turns out what’s tame to us is treacherous to them. As a result, the end
of the story is sudden and it leaves you wanting more. That’s the sign
of a good album I guess. If you’ve wandered about and have wondered if
Little Atlas could top Surface Serene, go ahead and breathe a sigh of
relief. Wanderlust is sure to satisfy your worries.
9/10
Reviewed By: Josh Turner
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Wanderlust - 2005
Surface Serene - 2003
Neverworldly - 1998 |
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