The Weever Sands - 2022 - Secrets of the Pecking Order

(43:35; The Weever Sands)

Track list:
1. Monday 6:58
2. Tuesday 5:33
3. Wednesday 4:48
4. Thursday 6:29
5. Friday 5:56
6. Saturday 6:04
7. Sunday 7:47

Line-up;
The Weever Sands - all instruments
with:
Daniel Geal - voice
Geo Schaller - flute, saxophone
Armin Rave - guitars
Dyanne Potter Voegtlin - keyboards
Jan Christiana - keyboards
Leslie Penning - recorder


Prolusion.
German project The Weever Sands has been around for close to a decade at this point, a venture I believe is primarily a one-man band at heart but with additional musicians helping out here and there. The artist doesn't clearly state if that is the case though, but the music gives that impression at least. Three albums have been released by this venture so far, and in the fall of 2022 the most recent of these was made available as "Secrets of the Pecking Order".

Analysis.
Birds used as allegorical beings to tell a story is what we get on this album, a concept album revolving around allegory and compositions that by and large are instrumental. Brief descriptions flesh out the concept a bit, but this is music made for the mind to create the associations. The words for each song being a rough guide, kind of like a chapter summary in a book, where the music is given the task of inspiring the mind to associations. A novel and perhaps somewhat whimsical take on the concept album, which does fit with the whimsical music we are provided with.

Pastoral landscapes with a liberal array of whimsical sounds and effects are served us in seven compositions here, with the compositions representing each day of the week. Bird-like effects come into play quite a bit on this production of course, but we also get some spoken words and voice effects throughout and occasionally in a rather surprising manner. Some elements from jazz manage to sneak their way into the landscapes explored, and unless I'm much mistaken there's a nod or two in the direction of classical music too. But everything is explored in a positive, uplifting and fun manner. This is music to make you smile and forget the challenges of the world for a bit, melodies to hum along to, smile to and perhaps also to inspire a laugh here and there.

With all of that being said, a lot of thought has actually gone into each and every composition too, with the distinct differences in sound, approach, delivery and mood for the cuts 'Saturday' and 'Sunday' as a prime example of that. Like everything of good quality that has been made with an eye to entertain us and make our days a little brighter, a lot of thought and effort has gone into the details here too, even if they first and foremost strikes us with their whimsical nature.

This is a most charming album in many ways, and one that in style and orientation comes with a lot of retro and vintage attitude. A slight drawback for me is that some of the sounds do come across as a bit too clinical and synthetic. This will obviously be a matter of subjective taste and perception, and even so a minor one at that.

Conclusion.
Pastoral escapades with folk music elements and the occasional nod towards jazz, all explored inside a whimsical context and with a whimsical attitude and orientation. Progressive rock with a retro feel, and in terms of style, approach and execution an album that shares many similarities with artists exploring what is often described as the Canterbury tradition of progressive rock. This is what we get here, and those who tend to enjoy this kind of music should have a smashing time with this latest effort by The Weever Sands I suspect.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, November 2022

Links:
https://www.the-weever-sands.com/