Leap Day - 2018 - Timelapse

(47:26; Oskar Productions)






















Track list:
1. March Under the Symbol 6:00
2. Mind the Gap 10:51
3. Little Green Men 4:40
4. Half Man, Half Machine 4:35
5. Ancient Times 5:11
6. Awaking the Muse 5:12
7. Deucalion (live) 10:57

Line-up:
Jos Hartelveld - vocals, guitars
Eddie Mulder - guitars, vocals
Gert van Engelenburg - keyboards, vocals
Derk Evert Waalkens - keyboards, vocals
Peter Stel - bass
Koen Roozen - drums


Prolusion.
Dutch band Leap Day first appeared back in 2008, and following an initial demo CD they have released new material at a steady pace over the years with 2021's "Treehouse" being their most recent studio production at the time of writing. "Timelapse" is their fifth album and dates back to 2018, and was released by Polish label Oskar Productions.

Analysis.
Leap Day has by and large been classified as a neo-progressive rock band ever since they started out, and they continue their excursions into this universe also on this 2018 album. They do go about exploring this tradition in a slightly different manner on this album however, and they certainly expand a few of the more common boundaries within this segment of progressive rock this time around.

Those fond of flowing and floating keyboard textures and guitar solo details will find plenty to enjoy, and rich and majestic surges in the arrangements alongside some dramatic keyboard details are all elements very much present and accounted for. Die hard fans of neo-progressive rock in general and the classic variety of the form in particular will find a lot to enjoy and a lot that is familiar here.

That being said, my impression is that the band have taken a few cues from the solo output of Peter Gabriel here too, with more playful and spirited world music inspired details being defining aspects of quite a few songs, which does expand the landscape explored considerably. That we have some more or less obvious nods in the direction of both Camel and Gilmour era Pink Floyd isn't as surprising I guess, but that Leap Day also opts to include some elements with a more direct jazz reference is another expansion to the form that works surprisingly well both on the new cuts on this album, on the alternative versions of previously released songs as well as on the live version of their previously released song 'Deucalion'.

Otherwise this is a band that tends to have a bit of an overlap with melodic rock, which is a bit of a presence this time around too, and the landscapes explored tends to be more atmospheric laden and controlled with dramatic effects used more sparingly. And as is customary for Leap Day, with a mix and production that emphasize this band's strong qualities in those departments.

Conclusion.
Leap Day is a quality provider of neo-progressive rock with a foundation in the classic era of this tradition, and they continue doing that in a good manner on this album for 2018 too. Their slight expansions in incorporating world music and jazz inspired elements works very well on the songs we get here, and has been executed with a subtle and natural creative glee. An album to seek out by those fond of well controlled and atmospheric laden neo-progressive rock that is broadly appealing while also being creative and adventurous within that specific frame of reference.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, January 2024

Links:
http://www.leapday.nl/
https://oskar-cd.com.pl/

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