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The instant reason to be drawn to this album is that it's the debut album for a progressive rock band led by Phil Collins' son, Simon Collins. The younger Collins has released several pop/rock solo albums, but this is his first real foray into prog rock, the style that the elder Collins cut his teeth on during the early days of Genesis, a style that many longtime fans of the band hold dear to them. In truth, Simon Collins does have some vocal similarities to his father...he admittedly can't hit notes as high as his father, but you can hear something in his voice. You can also hear a little bit of Peter Gabriel, and big influencer of Simon. But also remember that he is part of a band this time, there is more to Sound of Contact that simply Collins.
The primary members of the band are Collins (vocals & drums) and Dave Kerzner (keyboards). The two met backstage during the last Genesis tour in 2007; they have worked together on and off on the odd project, including supporting Ray Wilson in his Genesis Klassic tour. They recruited guitarists Kelly Nordstrom and Matt Dorsey to make this album. They strove for a progressive rock sound, inspired by early Genesis, a sound that involves complex musical patterns, and classical music-inspired rock. Being of a newer generation, they had more to draw on. You can hear bits of electronica, new wave and even punk in their music. Their inspiration is clearly heard on the album; it's also obvious that this is a very talented group of musicians, as they flawlessly run through some very complex material.
This album won they awards for best new artists, and deservedly so. This is no "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", but it shows great promise and direction. Two singles were released, "Pale Blue Dot" and "Not Coming Down". Neither did particularly well in the charts, but prog rock doesn't often lend itself to top forty performances. Indeed, the best track on the album is the ambitious Mobius Ship, a song, in the great tradition of prog rock, in several movements. This song, loosely tied together with certain structural patterns, is very much experimental rock, going through several drastic changes in sound and tone. Like most of the album, it succeeds more often than not in it's wanderings.
This is not a perfect album; the two singles aren't exactly "Watcher of the Skies" or "Land of Confusion", but they are interesting, engaging, and benefit from repeat listens. This isn't Phil Collins mark 2, but his fans will certainly pick up hints of him in Simon's vocals, and a taste of early Genesis in the music. It's a worthwhile album with little top forty appeal, but a rewarding experience for those looking for something different. There's a definite blend of old and new here, this album almost requires several listens to get the most out of it.
The primary members of the band are Collins (vocals & drums) and Dave Kerzner (keyboards). The two met backstage during the last Genesis tour in 2007; they have worked together on and off on the odd project, including supporting Ray Wilson in his Genesis Klassic tour. They recruited guitarists Kelly Nordstrom and Matt Dorsey to make this album. They strove for a progressive rock sound, inspired by early Genesis, a sound that involves complex musical patterns, and classical music-inspired rock. Being of a newer generation, they had more to draw on. You can hear bits of electronica, new wave and even punk in their music. Their inspiration is clearly heard on the album; it's also obvious that this is a very talented group of musicians, as they flawlessly run through some very complex material.
This album won they awards for best new artists, and deservedly so. This is no "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", but it shows great promise and direction. Two singles were released, "Pale Blue Dot" and "Not Coming Down". Neither did particularly well in the charts, but prog rock doesn't often lend itself to top forty performances. Indeed, the best track on the album is the ambitious Mobius Ship, a song, in the great tradition of prog rock, in several movements. This song, loosely tied together with certain structural patterns, is very much experimental rock, going through several drastic changes in sound and tone. Like most of the album, it succeeds more often than not in it's wanderings.
This is not a perfect album; the two singles aren't exactly "Watcher of the Skies" or "Land of Confusion", but they are interesting, engaging, and benefit from repeat listens. This isn't Phil Collins mark 2, but his fans will certainly pick up hints of him in Simon's vocals, and a taste of early Genesis in the music. It's a worthwhile album with little top forty appeal, but a rewarding experience for those looking for something different. There's a definite blend of old and new here, this album almost requires several listens to get the most out of it.