It struck me whilst watching “Prog Britannia” on BBC Four the other night that the genre associated with beardy blokes making twiddly musical noises and singing about fantasy lands and wizards, seems to be making a quiet comeback.
Progressive rock may be a genre of our parents’ time, but bands such as Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and ELP were musical pioneers who defined a generation and pushed the boundaries of song-writing like no-one before. Before you turn your nose up at a seemingly outdated and old-fashioned style of music, it’s worth having a browse through your parents old LPs and discovering the genre for yourself. What you’ll come to realise is that some of the music isn’t so dissimilar to tracks in your own record collection…
12 minute wonders such as King Crimson’s “Starless” and “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes may seem a world away from modern chart music, but dig a bit deeper and you’ll find that “prog rock” is purely a manifestation of bands getting really REALLY good, then showing it off to the world. The hypnotic undertones of “Heart of the Sunrise” would, for instance, be at home on Muse’s 2001 album “Origin of Symmetry”.
In more recent years, it is underground indie favourites The Maccabees and Foals have flown the flag for modern prog, a.k.a. “mod prog”.
The likes of “Child” and “Spanish Sahara” are perfect examples of clear progression from indie. It seems almost obvious that as bands learn their craft, improve their musical skills and are granted a success-fuelled mandate to produce EXACTLY what they want, they will want to experiment. Whilst we are unlikely to see a decade as filled with twiddly, experimental “noise” as before, it seems unsurprising after a lengthy resurgence of three-chord indie music, that bands may want to mature and fully employ their creativity. I for one am incredibly excited at the prospect.
Take The Maccabees for example. I interviewed them a couple of times back in their fledgling years, when they were an indie favourite and well-loved for their modesty and hard-work. Seems it has all paid off, as their latest album “Given to the Wild” sees a much more grown up sound coming to the fore, with Orlando and co. now seeming to be far more self-assured and comfortable.
Meanwhile Foals may always have had a fairly prog-like sound, but their second studio album “Total Life Forever” brought them far more into the public eye, doing yet more to announce the arrival of a possible mod prog movement.
Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open… mod prog may just be bubbling away below the surface right now, but as experimentation is praised and bands grow tired of sticking to the rules, it may be the next big thing. You heard it here first.