The New Release Spotlight is a roundup of new and recently released albums.
Einar Solberg – The Congregation Acoustic (Feb. 16th, 2024)
Leprous frontman Einar Solberg is known for his incredible vocal range and power, and those elements are on full display on this live audio set The Congregation Acoustic. The recording stems from a solo live performance Solberg initiated in 2022 during Covid where he performed the full Leprous album just himself and a piano. The collection is very intimate but offers some outstanding moments including “The Flood” and “Within My Fence.” Throughout the performance Einar mesmerizes with his ability to control his vocals and offer unique takes on one of the band’s most treasured releases. Fans of Leprous will definitely want to add this to their collection.
Order here: https://einarsolberg-artist.lnk.to/TheCongregationAcoustic-Live
Tracklisting
1. The Price (6:47)
2. Third Law (7:02)
3. Rewind (6:03)
4. The Flood (7:13)
5. Triumphant (3:30)
6. Within My Fence (4:04)
7. Red (4:56)
8. Slave (6:38)
9. Moon (7:11)
10. Down (5:33)
11. Lower (4:57)
Einar Solberg / piano, vocals
Kyros – Mannequin (Feb. 2nd, 2024)
UK prog-synth-rockers Kyros released their 4th studio album ‘Mannequin’ and it is already garnering the quartet critical acclaim. The album finds the band diving headfirst into 80s synth-pop, but they inject enough prog into the tracks to make it their own unique sound. The tracks are often uptempo and very synth heavy, but the instrumental moments layered throughout the album really standout, especially on tracks like “Esoterica” and “The End in Mind.” This is maybe as much of an electronic dance album as it is a prog album, so it might take a minute for the purest prog fan to absorb but at times there are even similarities to bands like Frost*. Through the ever growing and evolving Prog landscape, Kyros have certainly found a way to carve their own place within it.
Order here: https://www.kyrosmusic.com/merch/p/mannequin-cd-preorder
Tracklisting
1. Taste the Day (2:26)
2. Showtime (4:10)
3. Illusions Inside (5:09)
4. Esoterica (6:55)
5. The End in Mind (7:41)
6. Digital Fear (3:35)
7. Ghosts of You (5:02)
8. Liminal Space (4:39)
9. Technology Killed the Kids IV (7:26)
10. Have Hope (7:57)
Musicians
Shelby Logan Warne / vocals, keyboards
Joey Frevola / guitars
Peter Episcopo / bass, vocals
Robin Johnson / drums & percussion
Jimmy Keegan – S/T (Mar. 1st, 2024)
Drummer Jimmy Keegan (Pattern-Seeking Animals, ex-Spock’s Beard) has released his long awaited solo album, 9 years in the making. On the 10 track set, Keegan takes front and center as lead vocalist through a mix of pop-rock tracks many written by friends of the drummer. In addition, there are a couple of well-known covers including a wonderful take on the Split Enz classic “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” which is intro’d by his former Spock’s bandmate Ryo Okumoto on piano. Also joining Keegan are former bandmates Dave Meros and Ted Leonard, as well as notable guests like Michael Sadler, among others. Tracks “The Fisherman” and “7:00” are notable highlights. While some fans would hope for a more proggy collection, this is nevertheless an entertaining collection by a very talented musician and hopefully sets the stage for more music to come.
Order here: https://jimmykeegan.bandcamp.com/album/jimmy-keegan
Tracklisting:
1.The Fishermen 3 04:35
2.Where Settlers Go 03:59
3.Kiss You Slow 06:01
4.7:00 A.M. 04:04
5.Crosseyed and Painless 06:51
6.Platinum 04:20
7.Chaos In The U.S.A. 03:17
8.Minor Seconds 03:14
9.Comfort Girl 06:56
10.Six Months In A Leaky Boat 07:58
Line-up
Drummer/vocalist Jimmy Keegan.
With guests including Michael Sadler,
Dave Meros,
Eric Dover,
Ted Leonard,
Ryo Okumoto,
Otmaro Ruiz,
Jennifer Jo Oberle
Randy Jacobs
