The Steve Bonino Project - 2022 - Pandora

(39:38; Melodic Revolution Records)

Track list:
1. Eva Prima Pandora 4:48
2. The Three Fates 3:44
3. Where Did Evil Come From 4:32
4. My Name Is Pandora 3:30
5. The Pipes of Pan 2:43
6. To Pandora 4:38
7. Origin Story 4:02
8. Do You Believe 3:43
9. Mythos 1:53
10. Lucky Day 2:55
11. Of Gods and Men 3:10

Line-up:
Steve Bonino - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, programming
with:
Shimmer Johnson - vocals
Erik Johnson - guitars
C.C. White - vocals (via plug-in)


Prolusion.
US artist Steve Bonino has been an active player in the US music scene since the 1990s or thereabouts, with tenures in a number of bands and projects from what I understand. He ventured out as a solo artist back in 2012, and have seven studio albums to his name as of 2024. "Pandora" is the most recent of those albums, and was released through US label Melodic Revolution Records in the summer of 2022.

Analysis.
While it is abundantly clear that Bonino does know his way around quite a few parts of the progressive rock landscape, the material explored on this production is by and large rather accessible in nature. All of the songs are kept under the five minute mark, we don't get thrown into landscapes that twist and turn all that much, and while we do get expressive instrument details to enjoy these are mainly of a subtle nature and not a defining aspect of the experience as such.

Instead we get songs that, at least as I experience them, at least in some cases takes some cues from the AOR department into the progressive rock universe, with a bit of an emphasis on quality vocals and well developed melodies and harmonies, but with perhaps a bit more use of vocal harmonies than what may be common among the artists that explore the AOR tradition in more of a purebred manner. And as this is a progressive rock album we do get songs that cover a broader field than just AOR tinged progressive rock too of course, with a little bit of a hard rock vibe taken on as well as a couple of ventures into territories where the folk music legacy is a bit more prevalent as some examples of this. That we get a bit of a whimsical left turn at some point as well as a song that strikes me as a combination of "Big Generator" era Yes and the aforementioned AOR tinged progressive rock merits a mention too, and that the album concludes with a more atmospheric laden affair that isn't too far removed in mood, atmosphere and vocal style to the late and great David Bowie further expands the boundaries. Oh, and we have a little bit of a flirt with subtle jazzrock inclusions along the way too, on that occasion arguably with a little bit of soul attached to boot.

Hence this is a multifaceted affair, but one where the common denominator is that the songs are easy to grasp and easy to listen to whilst also providing the details and the depth that fans of progressive rock tend to favour. With many songs coming across as having a bit of a radio friendly vibe to them, while others undoubtedly will come across as deep tracks from the point of view of a more mainstream oriented listener.

Conclusion.
"Pandora" is an album that strikes me as tailor-made for those that tend to be fascinated by music that explore the progressive rock tradition in a more readily accessible manner. The vocals are often just as important and perhaps even more important than the instrument backing at times too, the melodies are compelling and at no point will the listener ever feel that there is too much going on.  If accessible progressive rock and artists often described as being of the art rock category tends to intrigue you, this solid album is one that you might want to investigate.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, October 2024

Links:
https://stevebonino.com/
https://mrrmusic.com/