I Am The Morning "Lighthouse"

Another seven days have passed and  I welcome you back fellow progheads!  The search for all things prog has brought me to some fascinating places and unearthed many wonderful discoveries; the band I am reviewing this week scores high on that list.  My journey has not taken me to Russia very often--I believe my passport is stamped but twice for stops in Alaska's  neighbor.  However; I Am the Morning has convinced me to bring The Closet Concert Arena this way more often.

Calling themselves a "Chamber progressive rock duo...mixing prog with classical music and writing songs about death" is a calling card I cannot ignore.  "Lighthouse" is the fifth album from I Am The Morning, released on KScope records. With album number six due in the fall, I thought this a good time to stop by for a listen.  To paraphrase John Soule, let us "go west" across the Bering Strait...

The album opens softly with "I Came Before the Water Pt I."  Gentle waves lapping at the shore greet your auditory sensors while vocals as delicate as a linen shawl float over the top...and the song seamlessly bleeds into "Too Many Years."  An intense piano introduces vocals elegant as  lilacs...gentle to the touch yet the scent completely fills the room.  The piano continues to waltz through the entire piece as strings come around the perimeter and draw everything together.  Top notes of Brian Eno's ambient best folded with the melancholy of Keane, aromatics of Doville Lee, and a hint of the darkness that envelopes Tuesday The Sky.  Yes, there is quite a bit happening in the prog garden at the moment...

My next selection from this "classic" buffet is the title cut "Lighthouse."  As tender as a mother's touch, the piano flows through the headphones guiding lyrics soft as a down filled pillow through your head.  I Am The Morning is a walk through the first snowfall on a hidden meadow; tranquility holding your hand and guiding your steps.  The images are Victorian and ornate while the music is simple and genteel.  This song is as unique as a piece of driftwood washed up on shore...admired for its beauty and appreciated for the treasure it is.

Liner Notes...I Am The Morning hails from St. Petersburgh, Russia and is Gleb Kolyadin on piano and keyboards and Marjana Semkina on vocals and backing vocals.  They do include many guests on the album; Mariusz Duda on vocals, Vlad Avy on guitars, Colin Edwin on bass, Andres Izmailov on harp, and Evan Carson on bodhran and percussion.  Playing drums is one Gavin Harrison...must be that Porcupine Tree and King Crimson aren't enough to keep him occupied.

I Am The Morning have five albums on their resume and number six due in October, complete with
Blu-Ray.  Factor in Gleb Kolyadin's recent solo release and this duo have been caretakers to quite the acreage in the prog garden.  Different musicians appear on each album, which is recorded in a different location based seemingly on its association with the theme or history of the album and its music.  I Am The Morning leaves nothing to chance or circumstance when putting an album together; everything--from cover art to mixing--is as meticulously attended to as anything Steely Dan ever did.             

Selection number three is "Chalk and Coal." This time Marjana's vocals pierce the headphones with some oomph; the darkness implied by the title hits the canvas like an impending storm...all the while building an intensity that breaks through without destroying the landscape.  The top notes are reminiscent of The Strawbs in a more macabre mood.

Learn more about I Am The Morning and purchase their music at IATM bandcamp.  For those so inclined, you will find links to soundcloud, iTunes, and KScope where you can also pre-order the new I Am The Morning album "Ocean Sounds."  Follow the band on Facebook IATM Facebook and Twitter @themorningband.

I chose the song "Matches" as your gateway to the beauty that is I Am The Morning.  The piano opening takes you to a quiet nightclub and the vocals float on top like cotton candy strands taking flight from a vendor's machine at the fair.  This piece, however, moves right into that "sweet spot" in your mind, allowing you to drift away like a message in a bottle...washing up on a desolate island and basking in the solitude...

                     

Once again fellow progheads a week has fallen off the calendar as easily as morning dew dripping from a rose petal.  I Am The Morning has broadened the perimeter of the prog garden and added a  stunning view.  The passion expressed in the music makes "Lighthouse" a must-have for those with a fondness for prog beauty.  The band walks the emotion laden section of the prog garden, a la Moody Blues.  Yet it is Marjana's voice that lures you deeper into the abyss...

The search for all things prog continues on, and bands like I Am The Morning make the journey so worthwhile.  With so many sub-genres under the prog umbrella, a find as refreshing and unique as I Am The Morning is always a pleasant discovery, and of course the search continues...until next time...