Search - Broadway Project :: Vessel

Beautiful

Filmore Mescalito Holmes | tinymixtapes.com | 04/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Aldous Huxley once said words to the effect of, "we live on, we act on, and react to one another, but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves." Everyone expresses this inherent loneliness in different ways. Some people take up bowling or darts, others look up instructions on how to build bombs on the Internet, but, thankfully, Daniel Berridge has done something a little more constructive. He has transformed himself into a modern day Prometheus and has stolen the classical music of the gods for the betterment of mankind. The Vessel is an eclectic mix of classic rock guitars and angelic orchestral arrangements covered with record pops and clicks that give it a timeless sound. Richard Palmer does his best Robert Plant on the day his dog died while three different guitarists rotate on just about every track, the highlight of which is James White's impression of Robin Trower [Solo, not with Procal Harum] live in concert on 'Beaten Dog.' All of the instruments have a very authentic sound that, from the childlike innocence of 'Beauty' to the mostly instrumental and elegant 'Manifesto,' creates the most beautiful project since the Moody Blues' Days Of Future Passed.
Though it's dark and old sounding, it doesn't come off as creepy. The Vessel is sophisticated, elegant, mournful, and symphonic like a classically trained Enigma jamming with a high brow Portishead but still not elitist in its execution. Definitely not for lovers of ABBA, boy bands, or hard house, this is a truly beautiful album that would make Monty Burns weep in his billions could he afford the fluid loss. If you don't feel this, you don't feel. John Cale, eat your heart out."