Originally Posted in Trollheart's Listening List, December 15 2015 (Some slight edits)
Title: Transitions
Artist: Time Horizon
Year 2015
Nationality:
Familiarity: 0%
Expectations: Ant has already declared this a “meh” album, so I may not have too high expectations of it, but then, I'm never led by anyone else's opinion of an album, so I'll make my own mind up. I do however wonder at the wisdom of having three tracks opening the album that all have the word “only” beginning their title, though I do note Yes's Tony Kaye and Fleetwood Mac's Billy Sherwood are involved, so perhaps it won't be that bad.
1. Only One Way: Get very much more an AOR feel from this from the beginning. Vocal is excellent, but I'm hearing Asia so much in this, particularly in the chorus, and now we have trumpeting Downes-like keys. Hmm. Great vocal harmonies certainly. A little derivative? Let's reserve judgement at this early stage, but hold that thought.
2. Only Through Faith: Very nice soft synth line with twinkly effects, choral vocals, very short so I'm going to assume it's an instrumental. Sort of church organ coming in now, to tie in perhaps with the title and yes, it gives off quite a spiritual ambience.
3. Only Today: Ah no, again I hear the ghost of Asia so clearly in this. It's like something off
Astra, and that's thirty years old. Vocalist though is emulating John Payne. Some good guitar work from Dave Miller, but now we're getting a very Yes-style keyboard from Ralph Otteson, who's also responsible for the vocals, or most of them at least (seems they have something of an Alan Parsons Project thing going on, and the first track was sung by drummer Bruce Gaetke).
4. Prisoner: There's nothing wrong with these songs, it's just they don't sound anything original and there are so many bands I can compare the musical style to it makes it a little boring. This even has the basic melody of a Yes song, just can't recall which one. Something off
Big Generator I think. Or maybe
Union. Nice work by Tony Kaye, guesting on the Hammond. Which I guess reinforces the Yes comparisons.
5. The Moment is Here: We're back with the drummer singing, but despite the somewhat portentous announcement in the title I don't quite feel the excit --- oh wait a minute. This is rather nice. The first song of theirs I've heard that sounds like maybe they actually turned off
Asia: the Complete Box Set while writing it, and paused the Yes documentary. I must admit I don't see a huge difference in the vocals, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, ie they can both sing well. Great hook here, first I've been able to grasp. Much of this is down to the superb work from Sherwood.
6. About Time: This is a very impressive instrumental, quite appropriate in title to the rest of the album, the previous track excepted.
7. You're All I Need: I'm not quite sure if this is getting better as it goes along, or I'm just getting more tolerant. This is still very Asia/Yes hybrid, but there's something intriguing about the tune. Chorus ruins it totally though. Pity. Damn crappy formulaic chorus! Couldn't they come up with anything better? Not even that smoking guitar outro can lift this above the level of mediocre. Boo.
8. River of Sorrows: I think everyone would expect this to be a ballad. And it is. Sort of a vaguely oriental feel merges with blues, with the very slightest whisper of eighties Dio.
9. Water Girl: Seemed like it slipped directly in from the last track, and may very well be another instrumental, with some lovely piano from Otteson and some very expressive guitar from Miller. Another one where they throw off the shackles of Asia comparisons. Nice.
10. Love is Here: Gorgeous violin thanks to Mike Mullen, and it would seem we have one more vocalist, though Jake Livgren (nephew of Kansas' famous Kerry) sounds again quite similar to the other two, making me wonder if where “vocals” are credited on the album they mean backing vocals? Anyhow, this is a lovely ballad, a strong ending to a not overall strong album, but one that may reward repeated listenings.
Final result: I certainly wouldn't go so far as to call this a meh album, as Ant did, but the overreliance on tropes used by the bands mentioned, and others, is a little unsettling. Nevertheless, while this is by no means an amazing album, when Time Horizon settle down and stop just copying their heroes they can write and play some pretty fine music. Maybe they'll get it right on their third album, which I wouldn't be averse to listening to.
(Sorry; not a single YouTube exists.)
