Building bridges back to the Seventies
There's no shame in the use of Hammond organs, looped drums and Minimoogs here; 5BridgeS are proud to be living in the past. Exactly how much originality can be drained from vintage prog rock remains to be seen, but this doesn't seem to be much of a concern for Dutch ensemble 5BridgeS, who are obviously doing this for the love of the music, rather than striving for artistic innovation.
Given the genre of music, it comes as little surprise that this is very much the Luke d'Araceno show, with the multi-instrumentalist's talent diversifying the 5BridgeS sound with the application of multiple keyboard instruments and sampling/programming. Along with vocalist Piet Roelofsen and guitarist Enzo Gallo, d'Araceno's background in classical music has clearly provided the band with sturdy compositional foundations and fuels the dexterity sought by the genre.
'Didymus' is a subdued opener that sparkles with occasional moments of promise. The use of electronic drum loops unfortunately distracts from the quality of the sound, instead sounding like an amateur has been let loose in the studio and recorded a preset drum pattern from their Argos keyboard. However, in general the scale and scope of the track does impress and leads nicely into the guitar lead-centric introduction of 'Babylonian Curse Reversed'.
The harpsichord inclusions that emerge during 'On Calpe's Rock' provide a diversifying neo-baroque edge that comfortably settles alongside the piano, synth and guitars parts in a time-defying soundscape. However, by the following track, 'The Spell of Eternity,' d'Araceno has introduced a Theremin to transform the nature of the album from stereotypically dated to stereotypically futuristic. It's all very cliche, but it manages to avoid cheesiness.
Tracks like 'Lovernius' Song' offer very little musically, but has been sensibly placed to strategise the pacing of the album. Once a song such as 'Batavian Revolt' springs into life, though, it does enter with a feeling of refreshment and you begin to put your faith in 5BridgeS; their love of the genre (and of music composition in general) begins to shine through and you just have to enjoy the experience on offer here. 'Sign on the Wall' is a fitting finale, rounding off the album with a melodious chorus that allows Roelofsen's vocals to soar with a beautiful degree of breadth.
Having said this, throughout the album Piet Roelofsen's vocals often sound strained and this is especially noticeable when he quickly escalates to his higher range. Of course, all bands have their strengths and weaknesses, but for a part that operates at the forefront of the sound, this will be a crucial area to address. There are certainly some intriguing elements experimented with throughout and such exploration is done competently. Unusual time signatures are used superbly and handled well to ensure that they are not unsettling to the listener.
"The Thomas Tracks" exudes a loveable charm that can be credited to 5BridgeS' obvious passion for Seventies prog rock. However, as we advance further into the 21st century, these type of records symbolise regression much more than they do progression. Think of it as 'reg rock', if you will. This release from 5BridgeS won't amaze you with mind-blowing originality, but it should support nostalgic prog rock fans that struggle to venture outside of their comfort zones.