For those familiar with Jim's day job--guitarist for Fates Warning--a spoiler alert of sorts...Tuesday the Sky is by no means an extension of that band. Rather it seems an outlet for Jim's inner Brian Eno; the master of ambient music. Tuesday the Sky is apparently the place Jim goes to allow his alter-ego an opportunity to come out and play...a section of the prog garden separated from the rigors and demands of progressive metal. Tuesday the Sky flows through the prog garden like fudge rolling across a marble slab; just watching makes you want more...
Starting out with the first cut "Today the Sky" is akin to having an Eno/Fripp flashback; the sounds wash over you like slow motion 8mm home movies...lots of emotion mixed with a twinge of longing and inner peace. The opening is much like an old Victrola that wasn't cranked fast enough; the sound is equal parts eerie and fascinating. Tuesday the Sky takes you on a journey that gets more exciting note-by-note. The dripping irony is the lack of a thunderous metal backdrop...
Following along the grooves in the vinyl I am captivated by the song "Vortex Street." There is no missing the ambient mood...that dream-like "falling through the air" feeling as if the entire world were in slow motion...truly captivating. I sense Abstract Aprils as much as Fripp from his Soundscape days; the atmosphere is soothing; the mood serene. Tuesday the Sky actually takes the listener on an adventure with this piece...close your eyes and feel the tension flow from your body much the way coffee spills from a cup in zero gravity...
Liner Notes...Tuesday the Sky is of course the brain child of Jim Matheos, who plays guitars and bass on the album. Joining Jim is Lloyd Hanney on drums; additional guests on the record are Kevin Moore playing keyboards on "It Comes in Waves" and "Drift," and Anna Lynne Williams on vocals for "Vortex Street" and "Westerlies." Tuesday the Sky may simply be an ethereal side venture for Jim, but don't let that cause you a moment's hesitation as to whether it is worth listening to--it is.
One needs to approach instrumental music from a different vantage point, whether you are the listener, the performer, or the writer. Here in The Closet Concert Arena, it is more than just going "voiceless." The mood is usually more somber or reserved...the mood elevator is often stuck between floors. The canvas illustrations tend to be larger as the colors run from soft, obscured hues to bright patches that fade away behind darker, more ominous tones that tend to overwhelm if left to their own devices. However; Tuesday the Sky fills the album with distinct a passion that carries you across the threshold of emotions like so much salt spray crashing over driftwood on the shore...
Learn more about Tuesday the Sky at Tuesday the Sky and InsideOut Music. This album, along with others in the Inside Out catalog are available and well worth adding to your vast and varied prog collection. You will also find the band on Facebook at Tuesday the Sky FB. For those inclined to dig deeper ((the Concert Closet is cavernous) you can also find Jim Matheos at Jim Matheos and
Jim Matheos FB .
For the listen-in this week I chose the second cut, "Kite." Opening like raindrops running across a windshield, the song captures what I consider the essence of what Tuesday the Sky attempts to convey throughout; music, especially of the prog variety, flows naturally and needs no preconceived
pattern to follow. Ambient music--while not an entirely different animal--does offer an alternate perspective from which to view the prog garden.
How far this project goes has yet to be determined, so enjoy the present and wrap yourself in the cocoon that is "Drift" and let your mind sail away...Tuesday the Sky is a splendid way to spend time while wandering through the prog garden...so be sure to avoid a strut that would prevent you from enjoying the music and the surrounding scenery...
And thus another week falls from the calendar. Tuesday the Sky is a rare (and hopefully not one-off) gem Jim Matheos has put together outside the Fates Warning realm. The ambient section of the prog garden tends to be under appreciated and perhaps even a bit overlooked. While Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Harold Budd, Robert Fripp, Cluster, Moebius, and a select group of others walk this section of the prog garden extensively, the following and appreciation has always been underwhelming. Ultimately this is what makes bands like Tuesday the Sky the remarkable, precious nuggets they are...the lack of concern for the mainstream and pure desire to make music that appeals to themselves as artists.
Which means of course that while this stop is complete, the journey continues...The Closet Concert Arena moves forward in the search for all things prog...until next time...
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