They don’t even sound like the same band and I hate to say it, that turns out to be a very good thing. I’d sooner think this was a new album by Kaipa or Kansas than by Salem Hill. If not for the cover, I would have been totally tricked. Now that I know the true origins of this material, I’m flummoxed to learn of how much this band’s matured in such a very short time. As fans, we benefit greatly from a complete overhaul and waxing. This exponential increase in value seems to be a common thread among bands on the ProgRock Record label and this band is the perfect example. They have taken their music to new heights and like Frogg Café and Little Atlas, have done so in a dramatic way. If there was such an award, Salem Hill would get “Most Improved Progressive” band. While Frogg Café and Little Atlas would be in the running, it is Salem Hill that takes home the ribbon. So long story short, Mimi’s Magical Moment really moved me.
Here’s the miracle and magic found in the album’s four exquisitely executed songs:
The Joy Gem – This is immediately impressive and it doesn’t let up. Each section plays like Kansas’ greatest hits in succession. For this reason, it should come as no surprise to find David Ragsdale, Kansas’ former violinist, present in this piece. The string sequences he constructs are quite brilliant. The elegant use of the bells is clever as well. I found myself thinking at one point that a certain part was strangely similar to the music of Neal Morse. No more than a second after this thought crossed my mind, Neal’s voice apparates* out of thin air. It’s obvious they’ve been influenced by this man and you can tell these students have studied their progressive homework. Their vocals, arrangements, everything are very much improved. While their earlier efforts may have been slightly amateurish in nature, this is high-quality caliber stuff. I’d put it right at the top of the stack and I don’t feel guilty in my judgment or criticism of past work. It’s okay; because I know they have climbed to a whole new plateau and put their earlier efforts behind them. They, however, leaves one major dilemma. They’ve reached such mountainous heights; I’m not exactly sure how they can take it to the next level. This is like going from a losing record to winning the national championship and this first song is quite the coming out party. The lyrics are hard to understand, but they are utterly absorbing. This will appeal to fans of Transatlantic’s Bridge Across Forever and Kansas’ Song for America. There’s even a piano-like interlude wedged into the middle that borrows from Steve Walsh and Neal Morse. As long as they’re working in some of the best influences, the guitars swish like Steve Howe and their guest vocalist Alyssa Hendrix sounds an awfully lot like Kaipa’s Aleena.
All Fall Down – In the past, Salem Hill may have been guilty of sameness, but all you need to do is go just one track further and you’ll find something significantly different. While they may have started with epic, they follow it with this semi-short ballad. If the first allegedly copied Transalantic or Kansas, this one could be taken out of the line-up as it is substantially less tumultuous. The voices are all angelic whether they sing alone and work together in harmony. Throughout the course of this song, I hear Beach Boys, Spock’s Beard, Moody Blues, and The Beatles. There is Latin licks at the interior with Jeff Eacho’s flutes. It’s like Ian Anderson and The Tangent’s Canterbury sequence. Parts of this song also remind me of that fabricated fifties hit from that clever flick called That Thing You Do. Unapologetically, it ends with child play and the last lines of that classic kiddy song, Ring Around the Rosie.
Stolen By Ghosts – For an epic, it’s unusually unique and never all that redundant. The reprisals are done efficiently and effectively. There are a lot of different parts sequenced together, but by no means is it piecemeal. Actually, the framework it’s modeled on is quite ingenious. It’s elegantly knitted like a complex crochet blanket. The sadder and softer parts have the aura of Alan Parson’s Project. We get a wily and witty patch of Izz. Oddly enough, the new Spock’s Beard is stitched all over it. There’s a sketch of A Guy Named Sid and a smattering of A Flash Before My Eyes. Transatlantic even pops in again for another peek. This time they bring All of the Above, which is appropriate, considering the band has dabbled in it all. The greatest area of improvement is in their drums and this song probably demonstrates the most significant adjustments. They continue to use this atypical instrument, but find a way to use its irregular attributes to their advantage. The spot where Michael Dearing sings alone with the piano is heart-wrenching and the wrap-up is emotionally intense. In addition, there is an interesting and unexpected Genesis passage to trail this piece. Time passes on and has blurred the surreal nature of the antagonist’s pain. His empty soul still exists and suffers. Flexible and fluid, the violin is naturally rubbed into the sore. This song is depressing, lonely, and profound like a candle that burned too brightly and then burnt out completely. All around, it’s a seriously well-written sliver of bittersweet emotion. It hurts so good. It’s hard to pick a favorite, because everything on this album is done so well. The first track is terrific, but this may very well be the best one. It’s an exquisite and defining piece that takes that coveted middle spot on the mantle.
The Future Me – This embodies all the elements they did right in the earlier songs and yet it’s still distinct. To get an idea of how this track sounds, think of Transatlantic’s Duel with the Devil. In my humble opinion, the bass was always the strength of Salem Hill. In this track, the hammer hits so hard, the ringing bell is knocked clean off the top. In layman’s terms, this is probably where it sounds the best. The guitar is like Krister from Karmakanic and Alyssa drops in for another appearance. She brings along Fred Schendel as her guest and he creates a superb solo on the ivory keys. Additionally, each song offers something special and different. In this case, on top of the many layers of progressive pie, they incorporate accessible avant-garde in the fashion of Far Corner. So far, this is one of my favorite albums up the year. It’s up there with Neal Morse’s ? and Tomas Bodin’s I A M. I can hardly believe it, but this is really as good as the aforementioned masters. The music caught my ear, but something on the sleeve caught my eye. This album was dedicated to Jerry Keller. They couldn’t have given him a more melodious, magical, or momentous memorial than this marvelous album.
9.25/10
Implicate Disorder (the missing track) – This is a song that was cut from the album, but they’ve played it in concert. Randy George helped out with this particular track and contributed guitar and keys. I’d comment on it, but this phantom track is nowhere to be seen. Since the album meshes together so well as it is, I can see why they may have left off any additional material.
* Ask any 8 year old and they should be able to tell you what this means.
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