Checking For Echo "The War is Never Won"

Welcome back to the Concert Closet fellow progheads!  I hope everyone is practicing social distancing and staying safe at home.  As the world continues to deal with the chaos and tragedy that is COVID-19, my objective is to bring you everything the prog garden has to offer from new and
low-under-the-radar prog bands and musicians--all you have to is log on and enjoy!  This week I catch up with Checking For Echo and their latest release, "The War is Never Won."

Released in March, "The War is Never Won" is a concept album--pretty much the standard for most new prog albums today.  Concept albums rarely deal with light-hearted subjects and this one is no exception.  War, its affects on those who served in battle, and why mankind seems to choose this option so often is the inspiration here.  I enjoy exploring concept albums not only for the music, but the story behind the curtain; the motivation to put pen to paper and music to disc.  Time once again to don a pair of headphones...

The album opens with a 16-minute piece called "The War Within."  The piano bleeds gently as the music begins to pour through your entire body.  As vocals begin to wrap around your ears you feel the melancholy mood the song is trying to evoke; the war within can truly be a harsher battle than that which your government sent you to fight.

But the message is far from being told in its entirety here--indeed the war has just begun.  The
opening tune leaps repeatedly back and forth from present to past, painting a picture for the listener of the dark and ugly underbelly of every war ever fought and how difficult the journey back from that pain really is...yes, this will be quite the introspective week...

Looking over the playlist I found an interesting title; "Imaginary Evidence."  Once again soft piano is the canvas, this time snippets of wartime radio and news messages float across the top, balanced with military "rat-a-tat-tat" drum precision.  This plays out like old movie footage; Checking For Echo is demonstrating a brilliant ability to look directly into the soul of the soldier and bring to life the emotions and feelings that torment those who "fought the good fight."  Was there justification for sending so many to inflict so much damage?  Can there ever be enough justification?  How does a soldier balance the act of killing on behalf of one's government with the fact that he/she took human life?  There are reflections of Seconds Before Landing in this entire album that I find striking...

Liner Notes...Checking For Echo is the brainchild of Jon Farley.  You may remember Jon as part of the duo known as Hollow Moon along with Darren Selesnow.  Darren did co-write and play guitar on "The War Within" and the credits list a plethora of additional people who helped Jon pull this entire thing off...but Checking For Echo is ultimately a one-man operation.

Jon resides in Moray, Scotland and has been wandering the prog garden for quite some time.  His work in Checking For Echo is abutted by the aforementioned Hollow Moon.  Jon is a multi-instrumentalist/songwriter playing every instrument and note you hear as well as writing all the
lyrics-- except for Darren's guitar and co-writing for "The War Within."

Jon refers to his work as cinematic prog and the images and visual spectacles his music evokes in the listener certainly qualify it as such.  There may not be a music "explosion" the likes of Circuline or Tangerine Dream, but Checking For Echo does find its way deep into your consciousness and  allow you to feel the music in a way only cinematic prog does.  Learn more about Checking For Echo on Facebook and purchase the music at Bandcamp.

My third foray into the heart of this album is "The Greatest Freedom."  The faint sounds of a helicopter fade quickly as piano and vocals rise up to come at you from what feels like another dimension.  The colors running softly down the canvas are the soft hues of hope and determination...inside the mind of a soldier refusing to give into the (seemingly endless) onslaught of mental and physical defeat.  Regardless of your feelings about war or the governments that start them, the view through the eye of a soldier who saw it all up close and personal adds a new dimension to the kaleidoscope through which we witness the world.

My choice for your listening pleasure is a bit different this time...a little taste of what to expect from the entire album.  I urge you to indulge your curiosity and let yourself feel (perhaps) equal parts uncomfortable and comforted...I believe Mr. Farley himself says it best; "The greatest freedom, it's often said, will come to us all when all else is dead."

                  

So thus the curtain falls on yet another beautiful performance from the Concert Closet.  Checking For Echo crawls inside your head and taps on the thinking part of your brain.  Being soothed and challenged at the same time isn't something many can pull off--so enjoy the rare treat.

Now it's time once again to take the journey in another direction as the search for all things prog continues on...until next time...