Review Summary: Welcome to Boomland
Synesthesia: a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (ripped from Wikipedia). This seems to be a scientifically inflated explanation of a very simple phenomenon we are all well aware of: music can take you places. Perceiving a song often times results in the use of more than just your auditory sense. Commonly influenced by the album’s artwork, the worlds you are transported to are clearly in front of you as physical paintings made by the artist. Each and every note constructs a sprawling vista and location for the listener to retreat to; to stay for a while if only to explore the unknown. Each and every album you hear carves a niche for itself, and will almost always remain its base shape and form while expanding its details through repeated listens.
I’m here to tell you the tales of a strange land… one filled with whimsical wonder and exploration. Here is a kind of place we all strive to find in our pursuits of music: a progressive gem that seemed to have been lost in the sands of time. Boomland, as it is called, was pioneered by T2 in 1970, a band who never truly garnered the recognition they deserved. This band set off to chart a land new to the world as we know. Drummer Peter Dunton offers his guidance with his soft and controlled singing. He knows his limits well, being able to craft melodies and harmonies perfectly suited for what he is capable of. Providing these harmonies are the remaining duo of bandmates. They are tasked with building the scenery of Boomland using their unquestionable proficiency at their instruments. Opener
In Circles is the perfect first glimpse of what they have created. The endless psychedelic fields of tall grass blow in the thunder of rampaging guitar, with moments of breathing room where all falls still. Midway through song the listener arrives at an alien forest covered in foliage that defies reality, signified by the band’s descent into a jazzy spiral, only to stumble back out into the surrounding open fields found in the beginning.
Boomland is filled with adventure, continuously satisfying its beckoned tourists. Some may find peace with the calming
J.L.T. sunset while enjoying its beautiful serenades. A warm inn offers drinks nearby, and a piano melody floats merrily in the breeze. The hospitality of it all feels more like home then the one you chose to vacation from. Yet others may opt to spend their time amongst the jarring cliff-riffs of
No More White Horses. Here, bridges (and verses) stretch between the intense and rough rapids below. The guitar constructs chiseled walls, extruding from each direction. Wondrous solos paint crystalline formations so awesome, you are reminded why you chose to trek through this hellish landscape in the first place. Yet Boomland continues to promise hospitality. Woven carefully amongst these dangerous cliffs and rapids are warm and inviting rest homes; the chorus is powerful and catchy enough to give you the much sought relief as you continue on the treacherous journey.
A long stay will be well rewarded. Boomland is home to a spectacle of brilliance which has drawn many a repeated visit:
Morning. Truly the sunrise of Boomland is something else, beginning with the soft pillow of sleep amongst the land. Everything seems to be at peace in the dark haze of the end of a night’s rest. Suddenly a brilliant ray of light begins to poke past the distant mountains and trees, signified by the song’s first drum fill. The band slowly picks up power and momentum as the sun begins to climb over the horizon. The clouds formed by the swirling guitar licks transform a colorful pink and orange, blending a surreal-yet-natural light display above it all. And as the mighty sun reveals itself entirely, a crescendo of instrumentation proves that this can be seldom seen anywhere else. It proves that Boomland is a land untouched by commonality and one that is embraced by our wildest imaginations. No matter what you are searching for in your pursuit of music, this album promises it’ll all work out in the paradise of Boomland.
