Momentum - Neal Morse

Momentum (Neal Morse, 2012)

1. Momentum - 6:26
2. Thoughts Part 5 - 7:51
3. Smoke And Mirrors - 4:38
4. Weathering Sky - 4:16
5. Freak - 4:31
6. World Without End - 33:39
     i. Introduction
     ii. Never Pass Away
     iii. Losing Your Soul
     iv. The Mystery
     v. Some Kind of Yesterday
     vi. Never Pass Away (Reprise)

Neal Morse's seventh progressive rock solo album is one of his most enjoyable opuses. Morse merges his melodic pop songcraft with virtuoso performances, ambitious arrangements, and progressive quirkiness.

First, huge props need to go to the rhythm section. Drummer extraordinaire Mike Portnoy and fantastic bassist Randy George really drive these songs, particularly the song cycle "World Without End".  Masters of mood and texture, yet monster performers, these two employ their muscular chops to excellent effect throughout.  On this solid foundation, Morse's keyboard and guitar work shine.  Several guest musicians contribute lead guitar, saxophone, violin, and clarinet. And of course, many different people provide sunny vocal harmonies.

Because the album doesn't have an overarching concept, the music has plenty of room to breathe.  I'll probably have to turn in my proggie card for this, but I particularly like the three short songs.  "Smoke and Mirrors" is a beautiful acoustic guitar ballad with a stately violin break; "Weathering Sky"'s pulsing wah-meets-didgeridoo guitar drone drives a melodic rocker; and the string-drenched pop of "Freak" is just plain catchy.  These short songs make a quick impact and provide a nice break between the more ambitious numbers.

Those ambitious numbers are certainly worth the time, though. The opening title track is trademark Morse -- a driving major key rock song that practically begs for hand-claps, with bouncy verses, big choruses, a jaw-dropping instrumental break, and The Big Finish, all packed into a tidy six and a half minutes. "Thoughts Part 5" continues the "Thoughts" series from Neal's days in Spock's Beard. With quirky arrangements, madrigal singing, and a sardonic, self-deprecating vocal from a guy who let his mind wander in the middle of a conversation, it fits right in.

"World Without End" examines the fleeting nature of this life and the promise of a life to come. Told from the perspective of a person who abandons their faith to pursue their own path, it paints a picture of the empty lure of the world and the hope of God's redeeming love. The music twists and turns with the story, yet the flow is very natural, and the individual songs function as movements of a greater whole. The entire musical journey makes for one of Morse's better long-form compositions.

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 wah-meets-didgeridoo guitar drones