Mostly Autumn's 'Graveyard Star' - Album Review

Regular readers of this blog will know that the York-based progressive rock act Mostly Autumn are one of my very favourite bands. I have seen them live over 40 times, and they were also the very first band that I ever saw in concert back in 2006. It is fair to say that they are an extremely important band to me, which means that a new album from them is always a real event in the musical year. Luckily for their fans, Mostly Autumn have been a fairly productive band over the years. Despite the fact that most of their albums are quite long (with their customary limited edition double disc releases lengthening them further), the band have generally stuck to a two-year album cycle - at least in recent years. This means that a new Mostly Autumn album is never too far away which, when combined with the overall high quality that permeates through much of their catalogue, means that following the band is always exciting. I also like the fact that the band are quite old-school when it comes to their new releases. I think it is fair to say that the band have never been great at using the internet to their advantage, but this means that there is a certain amount of mystique surrounding their new albums. There are never any songs released online prior to an album's release, and usually the only information that the fans have is the album cover and the tracklisting (especially those of us dedicated enough to purchase the aforementioned limited editions direct from the band to help finance the recording process). Listening to a new Mostly Autumn album for the first time is always something of a deep dive as a result, but for me it really works in the band's favour. It is rare to have such an experience these days without really going out of the way to ensure that it happens, and the first play of a new Mostly Autumn is always something of a ritual for me. This is a ritual that I once again performed back in August when the limited edition of the band's latest album Graveyard Star was pushed through the letterbox. Graveyard Star follows relatively hot on the heels of 2019's White Rainbow (which I reviewed here) - an album which has become one of the band's very best for me. In fact, it could very easily be argued that the band's recent run has produced their best work - starting with 2014's ambitious concept album Dressed in Voices (which I also reviewed here). My first couple of listens to Graveyard Star made me wonder if this streak was about to be affected somewhat, but the album has really opened up to me in recent weeks - in a similar fashion to how White Rainbow did actually. Mostly Autumn albums usually need a few listens to fully appreciate, but Graveyard Star took longer than most to reveal its secrets - at least for me. Mostly Autumn albums are often dark, but Graveyard Star is one of their darkest yet in places. It is something of a concept album too, but in a fairly loose sense - with all of the songs dealing with the feelings associated with different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes the album very relatable, but as mentioned there is a lot to take in - both musically and emotionally. It is a real mood album, and it is possibly one of the most atmospheric albums that the band have put together - although there is still plenty of soaring guitar from bandleader Bryan Josh throughout; as well as the folky, poppy melodies that Mostly Autumn have become known for over the years.

I think that one of the reasons that the album took quite a few listens for me to appreciate is the fact that I found the opening title track difficult to get into - at first anyway. It is one of two lengthy tracks here, and at first it did not really hang together for me. Mostly Autumn have written lots of long songs over the years, but Graveyard Star felt a little stitched together - which meant that the album's opening felt somewhat disjointed. I have grown to like the song a lot now however, despite some of the in-song transitions still feeling a bit jarring, and once the track made sense for me the whole album really fell into place. One thing that struck me from the off about the album's title track is just how synth-heavy it is - especially early on. The album's opening moments are characterised by dense, spacy keyboards, likely from founding keyboardist Iain Jennings, before chiming guitars and some subtle violin courtesy of Chris Leslie (Whippersnapper; Fairport Convention) take over. The song's elongated opening remains fairly low key however, even when Josh and Olivia Sparnenn-Josh start trading vocal lines. The gradual build up works well however, but the song really starts to take on some depth when a dancing synth groove kicks in and Henry Rogers' thumping drums join the fray. I really like how the song builds up over its first few minutes. There are lots of classic Mostly Autumn tropes on display, but some of the synth sounds are a little different - and there is a darkness akin to 2007's Heart Full of Sky at times. When the song reaches its core chorus however, it is unmistakably Mostly Autumn. Jennings' roaring Hammond organ ushers the chorus in, while Sparnenn-Josh's soaring vocal hooks are full of all of the qualities we have come to expect from her over the past decade. The introduction of the very sparse acoustic section following something of an off-hand guitar solo still feels a little jarring to me however. I always think that a new song has started, as it sounds so different from what came before. This section allows Josh to shine vocally however, while Leslie's subtle violin adds depth. The solo that follows this section though is excellent. Josh has always worn his love of David Gilmour on his sleeve, and the solo here has its share of Gilmour-isms - although in truth it is just packed with Josh-isms! From this solo the song builds up again towards the last chorus which hits hard - especially when it speeds up thanks to Rogers' potent drumming. Despite some of the transitions sounding a little jarring to me still, Graveyard Star has become a great song in my mind - and it really sets the tone of the album perfectly. As does, in truth, the short The Plague Bell that follows it. It is less than two minutes long, and is the sort of song that could only be found on a concept album. Dark piano melodies back Josh's voice, and the song feels like a transition between the heroic opening song and the rest of the album - which works well for me in a classic concept album way.

Skin of Mankind segues nicely from The Plague Bell, with its old-school folky rhythmic stomp and bluegrass instrumentation thanks to additional magic from long-time collaborator Troy Donockley (Iona; Nightwish; Auri). Parts of the song recall some of the folky sounds of the band's early albums, but played through a much darker lens to suit the album's overall feeling. I really like the overall vibe of the song however, and it is great to hear the band sound this folky again after so long. Leslie's violin adds a lot to the song, as do Donockley's uilleann pipes. There is a great instrumental section which see both guest musicians play off each other nicely - while Josh's guitar occasionally soars into the mix. The song is quite short however, which means that the folky sounds do not outstay their welcome, and it transitions quite nicely into the organic Shadows - which starts off with acoustic guitars before it morphs into a classic Josh organic rocker. The guitars have quite a bluesy feel throughout, which provide a great backing for Josh's vocals, while Jennings' lays down plenty of Hammond during the choruses. The song, again, has something of an old-school Mostly Autumn vibe at times. The band have somewhat moved away from their core organic sound over time, but Shadows is very much the band at their earthiest - with layers of acoustic guitars to add depth. The opening to the ballad The Harder That You Hurt retains this organic feeling too, with Sparnenn-Josh's voice backed by simple acoustic guitar chords. As with most of the band's albums, much of the material here has been written by Josh - but as usual some of the other band members have also chipped in with strong contributions. Sparnenn-Josh co-wrote this song with Josh, and it has all the trademarks of the songs that she has written for the band in the past. The song is very vocal-focused, which allows her delicate melodies to shine, while Josh's bluesy guitar interludes are suitably low key. As with many of the band's ballads, the song builds up as it moves along. Later renditions of the chorus are much more powerful, with walls of keyboards and some punchy Rogers drumming taking things up a notch. Songs like this always allow Sparnenn-Josh to showcase her natural talent - and she really is the star of the show throughout The Harder That You Hurt with the rest of the band taking something of a backseat. She also shines throughout Razor Blade, which is a real album highlight for me. The song's slow opening, with its strange programmed drum beat, is a feast of subtle piano and Gilmour-esque guitar tones, but again the song is one that grows as it moves along. Rumbling piano motifs and warm synth leads create a great atmospheric instrumental section, before the song morphs into a bluesy hard rocker with Josh's snarling vocals - before the song's original chorus returns, this time sung in harmony. The chorus is one of the album's most memorable hooks for me, and the amount of different musical twists that occur help the song to remain interesting throughout. It is a real highlight for me as a result, and it is was one of the songs that stood out to me during my first listen to the album.

This Endless War, a solo Sparnenn-Josh composition, is another big ballad. It is more piano-based than her previous composition however, and as such it is a really typical Sparnenn-Josh song. Her compositions often have a smouldering, soaring quality to them, and This Endless War is possibly the song that she has been building towards since taking over the band's lead singer position in 2010. It is a song that showcases her voice perfectly, and Josh's poignant guitar solo is perfectly suited to the emotions of the piece. The song also does that classic Mostly Autumn thing of referencing song lyrics from previous albums. The band have often done this, and reuse common musical motifs, throughout their career, and I like how this really ties the band's catalogue together. While This Endless War is a song that is filled with emotion, by this point the album needs a bit of a pick-me-up and Spirit of Mankind comes along to provide one. Due to the themes that the album tackles, it is often quite downbeat. This is, of course, appropriate; and it also means that when the album does speed up it those sections hit harder. Spirit of Mankind is a much more dramatic song than what has come before, with some of Sparnenn-Josh's most siren-like vocals. The chorus is very hooky, with lots of excellent melodies to latch onto, while the rest of the song has a real punch to it thanks to some solid drumming and lots of rumbling keyboards. It is the sort of song that is sure to go down well live, as it has a great rhythm and a relative heaviness that is largely absent from much of the rest of the album. Mostly Autumn have always written songs like this, and it is the latest in a line of punchy hard rockers from the band that showcase a bit of Heart influence - with Sparnenn-Josh soaring as only she can. Back in These Arm reins it in somewhat however, but the song still has weight to it. Its intro is rather low key, with Floydian atmospherics and a slow build up that features some excellent vocal interplay between Josh and Sparnenn-Josh. On the whole, however, the song belongs to Josh. Once the drums kick in, a great folky guitar lead takes over and the song becomes another orgnaic hard rocker. Sparnenn-Josh adds some choice harmonies throughout, and Jennings' Hammond once again roars some life into the song when it needs it. The song is quite varied throughout though, despite its overall rockiness. There is a great bass-led section that shines the spotlight on long-time bassist Andy Smith, while Donockley's folky touches are once again called upon to bulk out the song's heroic closing section. The short piano ballad Free to Fly, co-written by Jennings, is probably the album's simplest song - but it works as a great bridge between the busy previous number and the closing two tracks - which are both quite dense. Sparnenn-Josh sings against Jennings' rolling piano melodies, and the simplicity of the overall arrangement really allows her voice to shine. Subtle keyboard textures are added to create some depth, but on the whole the focus is on the piano and the vocals throughout. These sort of songs are common for the band, but Free to Fly really works well in the context of the album - as it helps to provide a genuine change of pace, while still significantly contributing to the flow and the emotional punch of the album.

The Diamond follows, and it is the album's customary songwriting contribution from the band's rhythm guitarist Chris Johnson - who also sings the song, with help from flautist Angela Gordon. Johnson's contributions have really added to the band's recent albums, and the sparse acoustic rock of The Diamond similarly improves Graveyard Star. The song is a reworked version of a song that featured on an album Johnson put out in 2009 called The Fabric under the name Parade. The lyrics and the overall arrangement are a little different - but the song is largely the same. It seems strange that it is has been repurposed here, but it fits in really well into the flow of the album despite its age. Johnson's songwriting, and high-pitched voice, always shakes things up for the band, and The Diamond is the sort of song that only he could come up with with its spiky guitar chords set against a floating, atmospheric backdrop. The vocal interplay between him and Gordon works really well too - and when the two join forces towards the end of the song it is one of the album's most unexpectedly powerful moments. The repurposing of The Diamond was certainly a great idea in the context of the album, and it was interesting to hear this new version of the song - as it has been years since I listened to The Fabric (which needs to change). The album comes to a close with the lengthy Turn Around Slowly. The album opens in epic fashion, and it closes in a similar manner. The song is a classic Mostly Autumn longer-form track, which means that it contains a number of different parts - as well as some of Josh's best soloing on the album. It starts off slowly with some piano melodies, but it becomes more layered as it moves along. Josh starts off singing against a backdrop of acoustic guitars, but more and more depth is added as things progress. Occasional Hammond adds power, while busy piano melodies act as great counter points to Josh's vocal hooks. Mostly Autumn have always been good at writing closing numbers, and Turn Around Slowly has a real feel of a track that ties everything together. The soloing is some of the album's most emotional, there are some beautiful flute passages to add some light melodies, and I really like how the song reprises parts of some of the album's other songs. This allows the album to come full circle, with the verse of Skin of Mankind referenced - before the chorus from the album's title track brings the album to a close. It is a very powerful way to end the album, and it gives Graveyard Star a real completeness that it otherwise would not have. When taken as a whole, too, the album is another real winner from the band. At first I was a little unsure in places, but Graveyard Star really rewards multiple listens and in my mind it is an album that is as strong as their last few - which as mentioned earlier are some of the band's best albums in my opinion. It is great that the band have been able to maintain this recent quality for quite some time now, and the depth and darkness of Graveyard Star is a great entry into the band's lengthy and emotional canon.

The album was released on 24th September 2021 via Mostly Autumn Records.