ALBUM REVIEW: Above Cirrus – Pure Reason Revolution
Imagine this. You’re a dynamic and charismatic trio sending waves of intrigue through the porcelain walls of the prog rock mausoleum. After the third album, and the third shower of acclaim has passed, you reluctantly decide to put this labour of love to rest. An entire decade passes and those same revered rumbles begin to stir once more, the spark is relit and you return with your magnum opus and set sights for touring the world to remind it of your name. Then, the pandemic hits.
This is the tale of PURE REASON REVOLUTION. It’s painfully bitter that an act so replete with promise must have their return stunted so brutally but, fortunately, 2022 sees the trio strike again in vengeance. Whether implied or not, the band’s fifth LP Above Cirrus is a statement of retribution for the glorious reform that should have been; it’s time to sit up and pay attention.
Despite not holding the same breadth in their discography, it’s helpful to compare PURE REASON REVOLUTION’s release history with that of MUSE. Both arrive as eye-widening alt/progressive rock bands with a golden path of potential ahead to the delight of quickly amassing fanbases, their mid-points saw them toy with more electronic influences – to divisive reception – but both would soon return to the drawing board in an attempt to recapture the crux of their own appeal. From here, the similarities are minimal.
See, while MUSE embarked on a middling campaign back to the glory days with Drones, PURE REASON REVOLUTION’s 2020 effort Eupnea – a shorter but wholly engaging adventure from the trio – saw them return to their lofty peaks. Two years pass and Above Cirrus takes the band yet another leap forward. There are many dimensions in which to examine it but the simple truth is that this is the best the band has ever been.
PURE REASON REVOLUTION’s back catalogue is amongst some of the genre’s more provoking entries, so the aforementioned state of ‘peak performance’ is said with intended weight. In some areas, Above Cirrus simply tightens up what was slack, but in others, it just does things better. Critical elements like performances, songwriting and lyricism have been up the trio’s sleeves from the get-go – listen to their debut’s The Bright Ambassadors Of Morning for a taste – and nothing is held back across this LP’s seven servings of perfectly poised pieces of prog. Ever the masters of ‘the calm before the storm’, listeners are cradled in dulcet grooves provided by warming bass warbles that reinforce Jon and Chloe’s soulful harmonies – each inviting the gentle head-swaying and foot-tapping facade required to make the band’s volatile ferocity all the more staggering.
Turned frenzied by cataclysmic riffs, seen best on Phantoms, Our Prism and Scream Sideways’ frantic final moments, PURE REASON REVOLUTION’s appetite for prog rock’s capacity for harm has never been bigger; what was once used sparingly as a final garnish now becomes the album’s showstopper, moving the band into eye-widening new territories.
Where Above Cirrus goes the extra mile is far more niche. Eupnea was a shorter project as far as the band’s usual stamina depicts and the more concise numbers could often feel half-baked. The band’s propensity for gently burbling at a prolonged simmer before erupting is, of course, their strongest M.O., but these ‘morsels’ could be too hasty; rushing to the finish where a slightly undeserved breakdown would welcome them. No such issue plagues the band’s fresh blood thankfully.
Phantoms sits just below four minutes, making it the record’s shortest outing, yet this time we find a track that packs each of the band’s great feats – catchy hooks, exponentially building tension and a flash of the electronics – within a bitesize of their creative potential. Short, smart and a joy to wear thin, it’s a notable step for the band’s songwriting capability. While this certainly applies to the remainder of the album’s runtime, there’s an unshakable itch that there is something slightly missing. With only seven tracks, Above Cirrus begs for a final hurrah, with closer Lucid’s stunning sonic vistas being great but not quite worthy to close the doors on the band’s greatest effort.
Regardless, this is still the band’s greatest effort. An achievement that is hopefully just the beginning of the band’s second reign having overcome pandemic plight, Above Cirrus thrusts PURE REASON REVOLUTION back into the hot seat where they belong. The journey has been unforgiving and convoluted but the results are simple; this is a mighty effort to remarkable ends.
Rating: 9/10
Above Cirrus is set for release on May 6th via InsideOut Music.
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