I first heard of
Spacebag when I attended a show at Seattle where the band was part of the bill. They had a small inflatable spaceman at their merch table, and the name of the group sounded pretty ridiculous, so I didn't know what to expect. As soon as they started playing, they unleashed a barrage of proggy guitar and keyboard arrangements. It was impressive to watch them perform a crazy amount of notes song after song. Needless to say, I had a stupid grin throughout the show.
After it ended, I picked up the
Pareidolia CD at their merch booth. As I took it home, I began to wonder if this madness I just heard could possibly hold up as an album. Would this proggy extravaganza end up being a fun thing that lost its appeal after repeated listens? Like an ice cream that is topped with so much chocolate syrup, so at the beginning it tastes delicious, and then becomes unbearably sweet?
Fortunately, I was terribly wrong. Though each song is jam packed with riffs, keyboard solos and drum fills, they are short and to the point. They never overstay their welcome and offer a surprising amount of diversity. It is hard to know what to expect from each song even after repeated listens, giving each spin its own unique discoveries. Also, the inclusion of keyboards into the mix gives the band a distinctive, spacey sound. There is no bass in most of the songs, and the music shows that they don't need it to make a lasting impression.
Each song is far more than a prog nerd’s wet dream.
Sensitivity Training begins with the phrase “I am going to give you the keys to the Lamborghini” and directly takes you to a warp speed space Lamborghini trip.
Stairway Denied suddenly places you in a party with stardust raining over an excited audience. The music is technically impressive, and details like these also make it very fun and imaginative.
The group further mixes it up by trying other types of tunes. Calmer songs like
Space Sickness and
Sequoia give a small breathing room from the faster tracks and set up a better pacing to the experience. The album closer is a tribute to
Cygnus X-1 (by Rush), appropriately titled
Bagnus X-1. The band takes this classic and give it their own take, playfully transitioning between calm and energetic sections.
Pareidolia is technically impressive, well paced and coherent. But ultimately, the biggest takeaway is that the album is extremely fun.
Spacebag succeeds at getting out my prog nerdiness by showcasing crazy riff after crazy keyboard arrangement, and makes me feel as an astronaut traversing galaxies with psychedelic colours and weird shapes. It is absolutely bonkers, and that is why you should listen to it.
