New album by Moonbound heralds the return of that totally awesome 80s pop-prog sound

I’m just going to throw this out there. Moonbound’s Peak of Eternal Light is one of the best damn albums I’ve heard in years. And I have a feeling that if you heard it, you might say the same thing. Of course now that I’ve made such a pronouncement, you’ll probably expect me to back it up with a bunch of frilly adjectives and literary dissections of every track on the album. If that’s the case, you’ll be disappointed. Partly because I can’t stand it when people do that, but mostly because doing so would be a disservice to an album that accomplishes something so many fail at: being greater than the sum of its parts.

That’s not to suggest that the individual songs on the album aren’t powerhouse numbers that can’t stand on their own. They can and they do, every last one of them, and they’re varied enough in their diversity to ensure that the one song I fall in love with will probably not be the same one you end up playing compulsively – and that’s a good thing. But as a complete package, Moonbound’s Peak of Eternal Light is about as close as you can get to The P Word without actually saying “perfect.” Oops! I said it anyway.

So what is it about this album that I think is so perfect? Good question, I’m glad I asked. For one, it’s completely unpretentious, even during its more “proggy” moments. (For those of you who have no idea what “proggy” means, let me direct you to the year 1969 and a band called King Crimson. Start there, then work your way up to the present date. When you’re done, if the internet is still around and if you still care, you can continue reading the rest of this article.) Actually, that probably won’t be necessary. The truth is, you don’t have to have an appreciation or even a passing interest in progressive rock to get something out of Peak of Eternal Light. But it does help if you dig well written songs, expert musicianship, and things that make your feet go tap – all of which are in great abundance on this album.

But those aren’t the only things that make this Moonbound album peak out on the The P Word meter. Another one is this: If you didn’t already know lead singer and principal songwriter Fabio Trentini was a bass player, there’d be nothing to tip you off to this fact without reading the liner notes. In other words, this isn’t an in-your-face, kickass bass player showcase – even though Trentini is, by all definition, a kickass bass player. And with the exception of the bass-driven title track (a proggy instrumental groove that alternates between 5/4 and 6/4 time signatures while mirroring a cool synth voice riff courtesy of Trentini’s vocal cords and a Roland Vocoder, yay technology) the rest of the songs here are completely egoless compositions that display an obvious preference for craftsmanship over showmanship. Yeah, there’s the occasional subversive bass lick that might make your inner Geddy Lee sit up and take notice, but it’s never over the top. And that’s the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it.

There’s one other thing that really sets Moonbound apart from other bands of its ilk, and that’s the fact that they’re not really a band. At least not in the traditional sense that makes bands “bands.” Although Trentini’s near future plans include forming a touring band with some of his studio cohorts (a prospect that gets me giddy just contemplating, as Peak of Eternal Light is an album I’d probably commit homicide to see performed live), up to this point Moonbound has strictly been a studio band with Trentini serving double- and sometimes triple-duty on other instruments. Not that it really matters that Moonbound has no live history to speak of. Remember, the Alan Parsons Project was a studio band for a crazy long time before they finally took their act on the road. And no, I’m not using the Alan Parsons reference lightly here. There’s actually a lot more the two have in common than a deficit of live performances.

For instance, their styles aren’t that far off. The music of Moonbound has been described as “hooky 80s influenced pop-rock with progressive influences” and although that’s not a bad assessment, I’m leaning closer to pop-prog as a more fitting description. The 80s influence is certainly there, as evidenced by the tactful and understated use of occasional quirky keyboard effects and the random e-bow guitar solo (courtesy XTC’s own Dave Gregory), and as further supported by the presence of Pat Mastelotto on drums – a guy who had a front row seat to the neon- and pastel-riddled 80s pop music scene as a member of Mr. Mister. Who knows? Maybe that influence is one of the things about the album that really speaks to me. Sure, the 80s were a train wreck of questionable music and unquestionably bad fashion, but they did produce a few awesome (or rad, or tubular) albums – the previously mentioned Mr. Parsons’ own Eye in the Sky and Ammonia Avenue being two fitting examples, not to mention the unfortunately short lived output of Mastelotto’s old band.

In case you hadn’t guessed by now, some of my favorite musical artists emerged and thrived in the 80s. So when I say that Peak of Eternal Light is an album that would have been right at home sharing record store bin space with the likes of Marillion’s Misplaced Childhood, Mr. Mister’s Welcome to the Real World, and Mike + The Mechanics’ self-titled debut, you know I’m showering it with props. But don’t get the idea that listening to Moonbound is somehow going to transport you back in time to a day when skinny ties were hip and unbelievably tight jeans weren’t worn by aging blondes trying to re-experience their glory days. It’s not dated, not by any means. The production – which was handled by Trentini, Mastelotto, and Markus Reuter (an incredibly talented touch guitarist and composer who’s played with everyone from Centrozoon to Tony Levin’s Stick Men) – manages to pay homage to the best elements of 80s pop-prog, but with decidedly contemporary sensibilities. Mastering maestro Lee Fletcher is no slouch either, delivering an end product that sounds almost as inviting as a quitting time whistle on a Friday afternoon. I said almost. We all know there’s no sweeter sound. But this album comes close.

You can get’cha some Moonbound Peak of Eternal Light directly from the Unsung Records corner of the Burning Shed website, or if you want to find out if anything I’ve said above holds true you can listen before you buy over at Moonbound’s Bandcamp page.

(September 3, 2011)