The Great Leap - Phideaux

The Great Leap (Phideaux, 2006)

1. Wake Up - 4:03
2. You and Me Against a World of Pain - 5:35
3. The Waiting - 3:33
4. Abducted - 6:10
5. Rainboy - 6:15
6. I Was Thinking - 4:24
7. Long and Lonely Way - 4:18
8. They Hunt You Down - 3:54
9. Tannis Root - 4:52
10. One Star - 5:14
11. Last - 5:50

A rock song cycle dealing with authoritarianism and apocalypse, The Great Leap paves the way for the band's more ambitious progressive rock opuses Doomsday Afternoon, Number Seven, and Snowtorch.

Subtitled "A Celebration of Lemmings" and epigraphed with Revelations 4:1, The Great Leap is suitably dark, moody, ornate, and dramatic. Crunchy electric guitars and basses interweave with vintage Hammond organ, Minimoog, and Fender Rhodes piano. The drumming is spot-on, and guest instrumentalists on violin, cello, flute, trumpet, trombone, and French horn add a feast of musical color to the turbulent proceedings. Bandleader Phideaux Xavier handles almost all of the lead vocals with his buoyant rasp, while the ladies contribute essential background vocals and countermelodies.

The songs paint surreal pictures, fitted perfectly by the Dali-inspired album art. The concept of the album is more of a mood than a story -- a mood of menace, paranoia, evil forces, and dogged resistance. The song structures are simple and effective, with some unexpected twists. Highlights include the bracing "Wake Up", the stately "Rainboy", the icy folk of "I Was Thinking", the driving rocker "Long and Lonely Way", and the haunting "Last".  Though I prefer the trio of albums I mentioned above, The Great Leap is quite delectable in its own right.

Arbitrary rating:  4 out of 5 feasts of musical color