Recent Reviews

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Pattern-Seeking Animals: Prehensile Tales
Pattern-Seeking Animals - Prehensile Tales Art

Pattern-Seeking Animals: Prehensile Tales

Melodic Progressive Rock
5.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
InsideOut Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 13.05.2020 | Released: 15.05.2020

After a two-week hiatus during the 2020 COVID19 pandemic, when music releases were slim to none, I'm ready to get back in the saddle to write a few reviews.

Starting again can't get much better than a listen to the new Pattern-Seeking Animals (PSA) album, Prehensile Tales. It arrives 10 months after their self-titled debut, a monster album of terrific melodic progressive rock. Apparently, band founder, principal songwriter, and keyboardist John Boegehold had plenty more musical ideas up his sleeve. Before jumping into the music, take a moment to consider the meaning of the album title. Look up "prehensile" and then combine it with tales. You'll have a laugh. While you're doing that, you might as well pre-order the album. You're going to love it. It's okay, I'll be here waiting for you.

Pattern-Seeking Animals - Click For Larger Image

Pattern-Seeking Animals

So, you're back. With Prehensile Tales, you'll find PSA up to their favorite mind bending and ear tingling tricks, offering catchy melodic rock wrapped up in ambitious and intriguing arrangements. Moreover, Boegehold and company have upped their game with the addition of some new musical elements including flute, violin and cello, trumpet and saxophone, and pedal steel guitar.

You'll hear some flute in the jazzy midsection of Raining Hard In Heaven as it lilts along with a piano line, over a strong bass groove, before a fine guitar solo erupts. When tunes get a symphonic texture, which is frequent but notable within Soon But Not Today or Here In My Autumn, you'll hear the cello and violin give the arrangement an authentic orchestral lushness to the song. I like trumpet and sax in most any genre, but they're always a bonus within prog rock. So when they rise within the western-themed Why Don't We Run, the mighty 17 minute Lifeboat, or Soon But Not Today, keep a keen ear out and expect to be both pleased and entertained. Alternatively, with Elegant Vampires you get some symphonic prog nuances for sure, but it sounds more like a straight up melodic rock tune. Not so much as a afterthought, but throughout the album I found Dave Meros' bass lines to be significant and commanding. All said, with Prehensile Tales, Pattern-Seeking Animals not only repeats their progressive rock success, but also made it more ambitious and creative, thereby raising their own musical bar. Quite recommended.



CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The Bottom Line

All said, with Prehensile Tales, Pattern-Seeking Animals not only repeats their progressive rock success, but also made it more ambitious and creative, thereby raising their own musical bar. Quite recommended.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lionville: Supernatural Album Review

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]