The Neal Morse Band's 'L.I.F.T.' - Album Review

Whilst some of my early musical loves were progressive rock bands, and I have considered myself a fan of the genre for many years at this point, I am not sure that I have ever been as much of a prog fan as I am currently. For a long time I struggled with some of the genre's big hitters, but over the years I have grown accustomed to all things complex and long-winded - and I continue to discover new things and expand my progressive horizons. As such, then, it seemed about time that I properly dived into the huge body of work conjured up over the years by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse. I am certainly no Morse novice, and I have been something of an admirer of his, if not a true fan, for a long time. I think that my first exposure to him came back in 2009, and Transatlantic's third album The Whirlwind. I came to Transatlantic due to their connection to Marillion - but I soon learnt about Morse and his, even back then, lengthy history. I knew nothing about Spock's Beard at that point, and I am still no expert, but I started to give Morse's work a bit of a go - with his 2011 solo album Testimony 2 getting a few plays around that time. In truth, though, despite enjoying The Whirlwind, Morse's work, at the time, did not really stick. His sense of melody and songwriting chops were obvious even back then, but I found that his solo work suffered due to his skills as a guitar player. Morse is a talented multi-instrumentalist, and knows his way around a guitar - but it is fair to say that he is more of a keyboard player than a guitarist, so I often found his solo work to be lacking in the big guitar moments that I tend to want from my prog. Transatlantic had Roine Stolt to fill that role, whilst Spock's Beard had Morse's brother, so I often felt as if his solo work fell short somewhat. I stopped listening to his work not too long after those initial experiments, then, save for the occasional foray into early Spock's Beard, until more recently. I picked up 2003's Testimony relatively recently, which again did not do all that much for me - but after listening to Spock's Beard's excellent latest album The Archaeoptimist (which I reviewed here) last year, which has nothing to do with him, I was persuaded to give Morse another go. As such, I picked up a couple of his more recent non-solo releases: 2024's No Hill for a Climber, credited to Neal Morse & The Resonance, which saw him playing with younger, local musicians to where he currently lives, and 2021's Innocence & Danger, the fourth studio album by The Neal Morse Band. I enjoyed both - so when I saw that the fifth Neal Morse Band album was due out this year I pre-ordered and earmarked it as my true jumping-off point into the world of Morse. Different from his solo career, The Neal Morse Band presents a more band-orientated approach, both in terms of songwriting and performance, which pulls from his time with Spock's Beard - and even hints at progressive metal at times due to some of the personnel involved. The band was launched in 2015 with The Grand Experiment - and has remain consistent line-up-wise since. Both bassist Randy George and drummer Mike Portnoy have been involved with Morse for years, having also played on a number of his solo albums, with guitarist Eric Gillette and keyboard player Bill Hubauer rounding out the five-piece. Morse fronts the band, and plays guitar and keyboards, too, but both Gillette and Hubauer also sing occasionally - giving The Neal Morse Band a triple lead vocal approach at times which further shakes things up. The band's fifth album, L.I.F.T., is their first since 2021 and the first since Portnoy returned to Dream Theater and essentially put all of his other projects on hold. Clearly wanting to keep working with Morse where possible, the five found some time around the busy Dream Theater touring schedule to put L.I.F.T. together - and sound-wise it very much feels similar to the grand, symphonic prog rock/metal I enjoyed on Innocence & Danger.

With Gillette on board there is certainly no shortage of big guitar moments here, which sets The Neal Morse Band apart from Morse's solo albums, whilst the retro keyboard sounds from both Morse and Hubauer are true to the prog classics of the 1970s. With Gillette's ability to shred, plus his and Portnoy's metal backgrounds, there is certainly weight to be found here - and, at times, the lighter end of Dream Theater is certainly referenced even if I would not class the album as full-blown prog metal. As with most of The Neal Morse Band's albums, L.I.F.T. is a long effort - but it does all fit on a single CD, unlike some of the others. In true prog style, the opening track, Beginning, is a bit of a scene-setter. The piece is largely instrumental, but it actually opens with some gentle piano and Morse's vocals, which is a very low-key moment given how bombastic this album can be at times - but after a few lines of vocals, a big synth swell soon gives way to a majestic keyboard melody, over which big guitar chords are laid in an anthemic manner. The next five or so minutes act as a lengthy overture for the album, with busy guitar and keyboard playing from Gillette and Hubauer respectively - whilst George dominates one section with a melodic bass riff which everything else is built around. Portnoy is not as busy throughout this album as he can be, but he still gets to showcase his chops - with plenty of grooves coming from his playing. Generally the main musical motifs come from the guitar or the keyboard here, though, with Beginning moving back and forth between each dominating - whilst plenty of Hammond organ roars away in the background. The piece then segues into Fully Alive, the first truly vocal piece, and the album's first single. The bombast somewhat fades away as the transition is approached, with up-tempo acoustic guitar starting to dominate - whilst a lyrical and highly melodic guitar lead providing maybe the first true hook here. The transition takes place, though, once some bouncy piano takes over - and the opening moments of the song see Morse and Hubauer trading vocal lines against a backing of gentle piano and acoustic guitar. This album overall is a good mix of reflective, gentle moments and more upbeat, symphonic prog - and once Gillette starts to sing the chorus a punchy drum beat kicks in and organ adds a rocking backing. Subtle guitar and keyboard grooves, accented by the rhythm section, add a rock edge - whilst later verses feel a bit bigger thanks to a more band-orientated approach. Gillette and Morse's vocal back-and-forth during the chorus brings the melodies to life - and there is an uplifting and positive vibe present, something which is often the case with Morse's work I have found. A later synth solo closes the song out - as subtle piano returns to transition things over to I Still Belong. I Still Belong feel like a slightly more downbeat piece, transitioning from darker keyboards as a lone acoustic guitar melody takes over. This forms the backing for Morse's slightly more restrained vocal delivery, which makes him sound darker than usual, whilst sparse synth melodies flash away in the background. The song largely remains fairly low key throughout, although certain sections feel a bit more atmospheric thanks to some larger keyboard swells and Morse pushing himself a little more vocally. The haunting acoustic guitar melodies dominate, though, and there is a coldness to much of the track - even as long-held electric guitar notes slowly fade in. The band do crash in towards the end, though, with a brief bridge section feeling more hard rocking - but this moment is brief, with the acoustic guitar soon returning.

There are a few linking instrumental passages on this album, and Gravity's Grip follows - immediately bringing some of the album's early bombast back after the relatively plaintive feel of the previous track. Originally opening with, and often returning to, a bouncy synth riff, which is enhanced by some trademark Portnoy drumming, Gillette's busy guitar playing dominates - with some excellent lyrical leads and fast-paced shredded sections adding a metallic edge. The piece gets heavier as it moves along, transition into Hurt People - a riffier piece which sees Morse singing with some strange effects on his voice throughout. Gillette's slower-paced, groovy riffing really drives the piece, with some wah-drenched moments adding an edge, whilst darker synths and a strange, discordant chorus showcasing the metal influences that The Neal Morse Band sometimes employ. Whilst the synths do a lot of good work in the background, this is very much a guitar-driven song. The riffing never really lets up, and Gillette delivers one of the album's best guitar solos around a third of the way through. It is a lengthy instrumental section, and it is packed full of melody and fast-paced prog metal motifs - and it is a solo which really makes me think that Gillette should be held in higher regard in the modern prog scene. This heavy, riffy piece is welcome - but it does take a turn around half way through, turning into another lengthy instrumental section which brings the keyboards back to the fore somewhat. Songwriting and melody-wise this album is very Morse, but it is instrumental sections like this that make The Neal Morse Band albums, so far, much more my thing. This moment is very Dream Theater-esque in truth. The synths are perhaps a bit more retro-sounding and less busy overall, but Gillette's playing is up there in quality - and Portnoy also uses these moments to really cut loose. There is some busy drumming here, then, alongside some excellent, spacey keyboard leads and melodies. When this instrumental bombast comes to an end after a few minutes, and a distant piano is all that is left, the album transitions into The Great Withdrawal - which pushes the acoustic guitar to the fore again. The song opens with Morse singing in a darker manner against an acoustic guitar and piano backing, similar to I Still Belong, but there is a bit more going on this time - with busier piano and keyboard melodies, whilst Morse generally feels more expressive vocally. Plus, this sparser vibe only really lasts during the first verse and chorus - with Portnoy's drum fill introducing the rest of the band for the second verse, which is nicely backed by some crunchy guitar riffing and more Hammond. Amy Pippin and Julie Harrison later add some choral vocals to the second chorus - and the song just feels grander as it moves along. The chunky guitar rhythms add a certain strut, and there is a lushness to the overall arrangement - which is expanded on during another big, shredded guitar solo. Gillette later sings a bridge section, adding his slightly higher-pitched voice to the song, but Morse takes back over for a final chorus - which returns to the song's early slow feel. Another instrumental piece in Contemplation follows, and it is essentially a keyboard showcase. Lasting for a couple of minutes or so, it opens with some classically-inspired piano melodies, which then morph into similar melodies played on the Hammond. There are some real classic prog shades here, but the rest of the band do join in towards the end - with the guitar replicating some of the same melodies, even if the dense keyboards still largely dominate.

When Morse starts to sing again during Shame About My Shame, the band once again drop away - and Morse's mournful lyrics are backed by some electric piano melodies and occasional acoustic guitar. Like many of the songs here, it starts slowly and builds up as it moves along - with the first chorus feeling quite stripped back, with percussive cymbal swells and more electric piano melodies, but Portnoy soon adds a more typical drum groove, albeit a slow one, and the song feels more expansive. The backing vocals from Pippin and Harrison are utilised once again here, making parts of the chorus feel more expansive - but generally this is a slower ballad that feels quite cinematic overall. This vibe is really enhanced later on with another excellent Gillette guitar solo - which is another long one. It is much slower-paced and more David Gilmour-esque in spots - with the wordless female backing vocals which are added into the background at times really giving a strong Pink Floyd feel. Later chorus renditions feel grander with the band just pushing things a little further - and the ladies adding a lot to the overall sound vocally. As big ballads go, the song works very nicely, and it closes with a short, keyboard-led instrumental moment. Reaching is immediately much more up-tempo. It is quite a poppy song overall, very typical of Morse's style, and it opens with just layers of vocals singing the chorus without any musical backing. These a cappella moments are common in both Morse's and Spock's Beard's catalogues, so its inclusion is not a surprise, and once it is over the song gets going proper - kicking into a pretty up-tempo rocker with soaring synth melodies early on and faster verses with a chunky hard rock beat and some strident Morse vocals. It is one of those positive, poppy Morse prog songs that he has been writing for many years at this point. The guitars are largely in the background this time, with Gillette mostly providing some crunchy rhythms, with most of the main melodies coming from the synths. Cinematic organ backs the soaring, melodic chorus - whilst old-fashioned, warm synth leads are often thrown into the mix to join pieces of the song together. Big vocal harmonies and utilised during the chorus, too, making use of the whole band, whilst there is another rhythmic vocal-led piece later on which features some more harmonies - before Gillette steps back into the fore with a guitar solo. The final chorus has a classic 1980s key change, too, before, like some of the other songs here, the final couple of minutes descend into an instrumental workout. When the guitar melodies come to an end and some acoustic guitar chords return, the album transitions to Carry You Again, a lighter-touch track overall - which feels typical of the album's core approach of starting slow and building. After the first verse and chorus, the song starts to build - this time around some jaunty drumming and a staccato keyboard melody which easily sticks in the brain. The rest of the song is more upbeat and summery, then, and it does rock, but it never feels as hard rocking as some of the other cuts here - with more positivity overall and strong melodies instead carrying the song. The chorus is particularly hooky, with some simple melodies to get stuck into, whilst a later piano solo feels quite whimsical and different from the other more intense instrumental sections on the album. It is the sort of song that should be something of a hit, as it is filled with memorable melodies and a chorus that stuck in the brain - but some of the instrumental moments are probably just a bit too busy for most.

The brief Shattered Barricade follows - which, although a vocal piece, acts in a manner similar to the instrumentals from earlier in the album. Busy piano and occasional acoustic guitar chords back Morse singing in a somewhat more downbeat manner compared to the previous song - but after only a minute or so the acoustic guitar becomes more prominent and Fully Alive - Part 2 kicks off. Like the original Fully Alive which essentially started the album, Morse, Hubauer, and Gillette all share the vocals throughout - giving the song a bit more variety, and there is a jaunty vibe throughout which returns to the feeling of Reaching somewhat. In classic second part fashion, too, there are similarities between this song and Fully Alive. That song's chorus is expanded upon here, with Morse taking things further vocally, whilst some of the melodies are reprised in a busier and fuller manner. Portnoy really cuts loose here, too, adding some pretty intense drumming to parts of the song - with some of the chorus iterations backed by some surprisingly heavy drum patterns. There is a metallic edge to parts of the song, then, but overall there is an upbeat and summery feel during much of the track - until the end, that is, when one of those Dream Theater-lite instrumental moments takes over with some heavier riffing and double bass drumming from Portnoy. This gives the song a busy and bombastic end, but the album's final song Love All Along then opens slowly - with Mellotron shimmering away as pastoral guitar chords and a gentle tone descends. It is the longest song here at just over 11 minutes, although that is short by Morse's usual epic standards, so it allows itself space to stretch out. As such, the opening moments are slow. Morse sings over this pastoral approach in a gentle manner for a while, whilst spacey synth melodies, occasional guitar lines, and slow-moving piano cut through the atmosphere. Nothing else on the album has really sounded like this, so the change is welcome, and the beautiful textures are given plenty of space to breathe. Even when Portnoy's drums join in, the gentle vibe remains - with a slow-moving beat giving a little bit of a boost to the song without ever making anything feel significantly heavier. Despite this, though, the song does subtly grow all this time. It is not as obvious as it is elsewhere - but by the time Gillette launches into his melodic guitar solo it is clear that the song has come a long way. It does feel a bit rockier by this point, with the bass underpinning the guitar solo nicely whilst more Pink Floyd-esque wordless backing vocals are utilised to widen the sound further. Despite the length of the song, though, the overall vibe does not really change up all that much. Other songs here have felt more varied, especially those which opted to include proggy instrumental sections - but this is not a song that goes down that path. It only really has one core idea, but it spreads it out nicely across the song's runtime and subtly tweaks things as the song moves along. The guitar solo acts as a focal point, too, whilst as the song comes to a close the vocal arrangement changes, with the three-part vocal approach returning once again whilst melodies from elsewhere in the album are briefly reprised. It is very much a full circle ending, then, and it works well for me who loves things like that - with L.I.F.T. ending as well as it opened in my opinion. Overall, then, I have really been enjoying this album over the past couple of weeks. It is easily the Morse album I have enjoyed the most at this point, although I did like Innocence & Danger quite a bit too - I have just listened to this one more intensely so I could cover it here. The mix of Morse's usual style with a more band-like approach really works for me, and I can see this being one of the prog releases of the year. I am looking forward to getting the rest of The Neal Morse Band's albums and then, with my new appreciation for his work in mind, dive back into his solo catalogue.

The album was released on 27th February 2026 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Fully Alive.