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Pattern-Seeking Animals: Spooky Action At A ...
SPattern-Seeking Animals - Spooky Action At A Distance Album Art

Pattern-Seeking Animals:
Spooky Action At A Distance

Melodic Progressive Rock
5.0/5.0

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InsideOut Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 28.10.2023 | Released: 27.10.2023

Nearly to be considered prolific, and perhaps next iconic, Pattern-Seeking Animals (PSA) drop their fourth studio album in a mere five years, Spooky Action At A Distance. PSA was formed by Spock's Beard collaborator John Boegehold (keys, bgv, production) as an outlet for his own original material (which may not fit Spock's Beard). Boegehold recruited fellow Beard men Ted Leonard (vocals, guitar), Jimmy Keagan (drums, bgv), and Dave Meros (bass, bgv) give his arrangements life. The new album takes a slightly different course by recording in a completely different studio with a different engineer from previous records. Also, a live six-piece string ensemble was used within the ballad Underneath the Orphan Moon.

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Pattern-Seeking Animals

Listeners will find Spooky Action At A Distance another consistent and creative outing from these prog wizards. The classic neo-classic prog references from five decades of the genre are self-evident. But fans will find PSA among their current peers like The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Frost, and Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side, among many others.


That said, PSA has a great many musical strengths, beginning with strong songwriting that moves upon fine song melody and formidable vocal harmony in arrangements. After this, prog technicality informs the arrangements by movements and individual member contributions. But this creativity and innovation never direct to from a song's hooks in melody, harmony, or refrains.

There's little doubt of Boegehold's keyboard presence as a compositional foundation in the songs. Note the piano melody within Underneath The Orphan Moon or the significant keyboard layers within The Man Made Of Stone or He Once Was. But the other players loom large. Ted Leonard's smooth vocals are only surpassed by exceptional guitar solos which are abundant and lasting throughout out this album with Summoned From Afar and The Man Made Of Stone as favorites. Then, there's rhythm section: Jimmy Keegan could not be more steady in his groove; Dave Meros' bass line rises within What Awaits Me and Window To The World where it compliments the synths.

Lastly, while mentioning many songs already, I'd direct your attention to three specifically. One is the aforementioned ballad Underneath the Orphan Moon, and the orchestration. Second, He Once Was and the delightful saxophone. And finally, the last song Love Is Still The Light and its passionate vocal harmony, especially in the chorus. (I think I hear some sax also.)

All said, an simply, Pattern-Seeking Animals' Spooky Action At A Distance is another fandamnastic, creative and entertaining album of their signature melodic progressive rock. Get it. Quite recommended.




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The Take Away

Pattern-Seeking Animals' Spooky Action At A Distance is another fandamnastic, creative and entertaining album of their signature melodic progressive rock. Get it. Quite recommended.

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