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The Tangent: Auto Reconnaissance
The Tangent - Auto Reconnaissance Album Art

The Tangent: Auto Reconnaissance

Progressive Rock
3.5/5.0

Website
InsideOut Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.08.2020 | Released: 21.08.2020

Once intended to be a one-off project back in 2002, The Tangent, led by keyboard player, vocalist, and composer Andy Tillison, has become an enduring progressive rock band with 11 studio albums over nearly two decades. While remembering the heady days of early progressive rock, The Tangent continues to explore new avenues and expand new musical boundaries with their latest album Auto Reconnaissance.

The Tangent's Andy Tillison - Click For Larger Image

The Tangent's Andy Tillison

Exploring and listening to a new The Tangent is not for the musically faint-hearted. Auto Reconnaissance will require two things from the listener: attention and patience. Tillison's compositions can traverse soundscapes that are (seemingly) straightforward to mind bending complex. For instance, Life On Hold sounds like pop prog rock song, yet has jazz fusion nuances. Under Your Spell, a lighter number reminds of classic prog merged with Pat Metheney-like jazz fusion and Motown rhythm and blues, and then there's some saxophone. Tower Of Babel is another upbeat rocker with some spry guitar work, bright keys offering faux brass, and something of a funky groove. Then there's the 28 minute prog opus Lie Back & Think Of England wherein your patience and attention will be stretched to the brink. This song is not for a generation that lives in the age sound bites and tweets. I've never had ADD, but this really tested both my attention and patience, probably because I simply did not understand what was intended or where it was going. It's an exercise in extreme keyboard prog wonkery, delightfully peppered with flute and saxophone (which made the latter three-quarters the best part of the song). I recommend several listens, if you have the time, to explore the song.

All in all, The Tangent's Auto Reconnaissance is simply another album of the band's mind bending, complex, and eclectic progressive rock. If you liked anything they've done in the past, you need to get this album.



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The Bottom Line

The Tangent's Auto Reconnaissance is simply another album of the band's mind bending, complex, and eclectic progressive rock. If you liked anything they've done in the past, you need to get this album.

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