by Geoff Bailie
You are probably in one of three camps: (1) you know exactly who Michael Whiteman is or, (2) the name is vaguely familiar, or; (3) you’ve no idea who he is! For those in the last two categories, you may have heard of his (anagrammatic) band, I Am The Manic Whale? Or perhaps you know the name from Ryo Okumoto’s Myth of the Mostrophos or the forthcoming Spock’s Beard album, both of which he co-wrote? If none of this rings a bell, take my word that he has excellent credentials and has produced some fantastic prog music – and Whimsical Creature could well be the place for you to start investigating.
Where does Whimsical Creature fit musically? Well, to start with, the album was recorded using only acoustic instruments. Whiteman covers guitars, bass, keys and drums while his musical partner, Ella Lloyd brings the colours of flute, autoharp, glockenspiel, and percussion as well as sharing vocals. So prog folk/folk prog might be a suitable term … but nothing beats a listen.
Opening track, Begin Again Again is propelled by a Chris Squire-like trebly bass line, with a flute melody. The lyrics have a positive / keep going vibe and it’s very fine prog pop without the Moogs and guitar solos but with a very fresh sound. The Stargazer, which follows, is just over 7 minutes long and you’ll hear a Big Big Train / Genesis feel on this one. The song has many shifts and breaks down to a nylon string guitar solo while the autoharp zings, before Michael and Ella’s strong harmonies return. highlighting this isn’t just 3-chord strummy folk music. Next track is an instrumental, led by the flute, called The Process is More Important Than The Outcome – it’s a beautiful piece and a nice pause for breath in the album.
Whiteman has said that he tries to write about subjects that no one else is writing about, and that has been evident through his catalogue. A Journey of Five Lifetimes begins with the words “From the trans-volcanic mountain range in Southern Mexico”, setting the scene for what is to come! On Ryo Okumoto’s album Myth of the Mostrophos, the song Chrysalis was a standout track and that theme continues as it becomes clear that those taking the journey in this song are in fact Monarch butterflies, migrating from Mexico to Canada and back. The strength of the instrumentation, particularly the piano and the sections depicting the various stages of the journey, is excellent.
Despite the acoustic instrument modus operandi, it’s an album of gear-shifts as the pastoral journey song gives way to the acoustic guitar-driven Better Than This. “There was no robot uprising, there was no human extermination,” warns of the rise of AI. “Can it write a song that is better than this?” it asks, as the track shifts into a funk middle section, before moving to a hilarious section where the vocals are auto-tuned to a ridiculous extent. I wouldn’t describe it as musical comedy, but it brought a smile to my face and is a very fun track, in the way that, say, Ian Anderson does in many of his Tull lyrics.
To an extent, the theme of technology continues into A Way with the Fairies, which is the story of the Cottingly Fairies hoax (in the early 1900s, two girls used their father’s camera to stage photos of them interacting with fairies; and they became a British mystery until, decades later, in their 80s, the cousins admitted the hoax). Ella’s lead vocal brings another contrast, and the quirky subject matter makes it an engaging track. Nylon string guitar leads into The Undersea Tunnel, a song about the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France – the subject matter may seem esoteric, but, for example, fans of Big Big Train will be very comfortable with songs that deal with tunnels and railways!
Stained Glass brings the album to a close, linking in the album cover imagery in a track that is filled with proggy dynamics and power in an acoustic setting.
Wistful Thinking is light and colourful like the butterfly on its cover, and it’s 45 minutes of great tunes and musicianship, and intriguing lyrics! Michael and Ella have produced an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but has some seriously good tunes! Check it out.
TRACK LISTING
01. Begin Again Again (4:39)
02. The Stargazer (7:21)
03. The Process Is More Important Than The Outcome (3:47)
04. A Journey Of Five Lifetimes (6:51)
05. Better Than This (5:11)
06. A Way With The Fairies (6:33)
07. The Undersea Tunnel (4:28)
08. Stained Glass (6:49)
Total Time – 45:39
Purchase link: https://whimsicalcreature.bandcamp.com/album/wistful-thinking
Michael Whiteman: vocals, guitars, piano, drums, bass guitar, percussion
Ella Lloyd: flute, vocals, autoharp, glockenspiel, percussion
