01.

Pure Reason Revolution
The Dark Third

And so, we close with a masterpiece…

I had not even heard of Pure Reason Revolution a year ago, but this album has been present for most of 2006, and has grown into my favourite album released since Amplifier’s debut. Pure Reason Revolution make prog-rock. Not in the dirty meaning of that term, born out in the realms of avant garde 70s self-indulgence.

Prog is not a four letter word.

Instead, this is the construction of wonderful soundscapes, which ebb and flow and twist and change. This is an astonishingly complex and accomplished debut, from a band willing to turn its hand to any sound. It is at times ethereal in its outlook, whilst at other times a more rocky slant takes over (often there are great shifts of this kind numerous times in the same track). Yet Pure Reason Revolution never stray too far away from the importance of the tune, nor the importance of their audience. So much progressive rock comes from bands that make music purely for themselves, and to hell with the world (however good it is, this year’s Tool album is a prime example). Not so Pure Reason Revolution. They make music to be loved. There are hooks to bring you in on first listen present in virtually every track, yet there are so many levels of sound here that there is always something else to explore.

It helps that they have a number of people who can truly sing. At first Chloe Apler’s voice is the most appealing, but in actuality, Jon Courtney’s understated voice complements Apler’s style perfectly, and is, in its way, even more impressive. The layered vocals, and the use of the voice as an instrument (not just to overlay a song with words) generally, is one of the most important aspects of Pure Reason Revolution’s sound. No less important, though, is the synth and sampler effects that lace everything with a dreamlike quality, or their penchant for occasionally belting out a thunderous riff apparently from nowhere. There is also an impressive understanding of how to use space in music: so, while at times there is an awful lot going on, at others, you are given time to breathe and digest, just in time for it to built up on you again (a really sophisticated example of the traditional ‘quiet/loud/quiet/loud’ dynamic). Perhaps the best example of just what Pure Reason Revolution can do is ‘The Bright Ambassadors of Morning’. This 12 minute beast redefines itself so many times, and crams so much in, that I am often struck by the thought that it might be a bit short. Every track here is wonderful, though. Indeed, every single note is.

To attempt to define Pure Reason Revolution is in itself somewhat disrespectful. They don’t really sound that much like any other band I can think of. They certainly have a firm grasp of the (good side of) 70s prog, but equally, this is an album that feels modern and vital and now. Also, in amongst all of the progression and layering, there is an unashamed pop underbelly, which makes the whole thing work. There is a recognition that you need a hook on which to hang all this finery, as it were. Their website offers the suggestion that they produce ‘Beach Boys harmonies laced with speed-metal slam downs, pure pop melodies and spaced rock explorations.’ Or, more ambiguously, but no less intriguingly, it describes them as ‘astral folk’. In fact, I think these descriptions are as useless as they are entertaining. Pure Reason Revolution is a band that can’t really be described.

Utterly astounding, this album should ultimately be viewed in retrospect as our generation’s equivalent to something like Wish You Were Here. Here’s hoping they get the credit and longevity they deserve.

Incidentally, nearly as astonishing as The Dark Third itself, is the fact that the band hail from Reading (!!!!????). Since I have moved back here they haven’t played the town again (though I only just missed their last appearance) but hopefully they’ll be back again soon. Something for the town to be truly proud of. I bet most people here have never even heard of them…