Whitewater's 'The Sound of a Galaxy Smashing' is the first musical statement from a duo of astute musicians from England, multi-instrumentalist Stuart Stephens and beefy drummer Paul Powell. The former is a jack of all trades, fluent on guitar, keyboards, bass and vocals while the latter has a drum style closer to bashers such as Bonham, Roger Taylor, as well as presumed cousins Cozy Powell and Alan Powell (Hawkwind). What's in a name, eh? Must be the genes.
The single greatest gift that prog has brought to the music world is eliminating the 'rat race' and blind obedience to record companies (who have somewhat become redundant), as amateur musicians who have day jobs (Lawyers, entrepreneurs, architects, doctors, mailmen, waiters etc...) now can record and distribute their music thanks to modern technology and the Internet. In many cases, the talent is off the charts and is created purely for humanistic and not capitalistic reasons. All it takes is one fan, somewhere out there, half-way around the world who appreciates the effort, for it to be all worthwhile. Paraphrasing the Bible, 'He who delights one person, delights all of humanity'.
This album is quite a revelation, certainly for a debut album, as it's definitely more experimental and atmospheric than its successor, the punchier 'Obscured by the Sun'. There will be some who will, too conveniently, toss this into Pink Floyd-influenced territory, which is an easy and quite unstudied way out. Yes, it has loads of melancholia and special sonic effects but so did the Beatles! However, there are major differences in stylistics, Stuart preferring a clanging guitar sound that is closer to non-household names Franco Falsini (of Sensation's Fix) or Like Wendy's Bert Heinen rather than Gilmour, especially the rhythmic and acoustic work on this somewhat 'purer' recording. His vocals are not Floydian clones but his own personal style which is in a higher register and very occasional, as the focus is on the dense atmospherics and the elastic arrangements that are deliberately kept natural. The production is clear and crisp, albeit often unpolished, which is an added attraction (except for the rare heavy parts which I mention further on).
T.szirmay 2014
credits
released October 16, 2013
All Songs Written, Produced and Performed by S.Stephens and P.Powell
Whitewater are a UK based progressive rock band. Influenced by a wide range of bands such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, The
pineapple Thief, Supertramp, Future sound of London, The Orb, Orbital, to name but a few, they blend all eras of progressive rock to create soundscapes full of atmospheric layering.
Whitewater Are Stuart Stephens And Paul Powell....more
supported by 14 fans who also own “The Sound of a Galaxy Smashing”
As with previous releases this is a solid album from start to finish which continues the storyline, themes and signatures perfectly.
'Enigma' and 'Another Same' are on par with or superior to many commercial offerings by established prog artists.
The Waters, Wilson and Hayward influences shine through once more but I also hear song writing very much in the style of Difford and Tilbrook, 'Trough of War' & 'Another Same' probably being the best examples.
These chaps are the real deal!
rex-the-younger
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supported by 13 fans who also own “The Sound of a Galaxy Smashing”
Whilst delivering well crafted music, unless you focus on the lyrics, you could miss the story lines. This is the last of the war trilogy, so subtle ,but so poignant. Superb music with broken road and Holding On ,on permanent repeat. Listen and become enthralled. Top quality song writing and musicianship.10/10
kzra