Label: InsideOut
Genre: Rock
Release Date EU: April 28th, 2017
Tracklist:
- Prologue (Deep Sleep)
- Awakenings
- Sigma
- In Floral Green
- Everglow
- False Lights
- Symbolic
- The Divine Art Of Being
- The Big Dream
- Hello World Goodbye
- Epilogue (Sea Beams)
Lonely Robot’s “The Big Dream” is already the second record of multi-instrumentalist John Mitchell. Most of you know Mitchell from prog rocker outfit Arena, contributing to albums like “The Visitor” and “Immortal?”.
Lonely Robot’s debut dates back to 2015. It was an album that came with high standards and excellent songs, something also the new album comes up with. And as with “Please Come Home” also the second album has a general theme that accompanies the listener on this 11 songs journey. Things don’t go that far that the record could be described as a concept album, but songs are more linked to each other than just loose pieces of tune combined on one disc.
Mitchell tells to story of The Astronaut that wakes up in a forest surrounded by people with animal heads. The theme is linked to the debut and according to Mitchell, he sees the endeavor. So there’s one more to come, but let’s focus on the here and now for the moment.
The songs on “The Big Dream” are as beautiful as we know it from the first Lonely Robot record. Mitchell, together with drummer Craig Blundell, builds big soundscapes that include a lot of feels. Longer instrumental sections are well balanced with beautiful vocal lines, leading to compositions rather than songs.
One of the best tracks on the album is “Sigma” which is catchy without being mainstream. The guitars are as present in this tune as keyboards, both interacting in perfect harmony. Last but not least there’s the chorus that is catchy while not becoming trivial. This song is the highlight on the album and you should check it out.
The most epic moment of this album comes towards the end – the title track. It’s an eight minutes prog rock highlight that combines all the Lonely Robot trademarks.
“The Big Dream” is an album that comes with more than songs only. It’s the soundtrack to a storyboard that builds the foundation for this disc. It might be that there is no ‘real hit’ on this record. This also doesn’t matter since Mitchell creates a perfect symbiosis of story and music. These songs are alive and by closing your eyes you can almost feel with the ‘Lonely Robot’. If music is about transferring emotions, which I think is a fundamental part than Mitchell succeeded on this mission with a 100%.
Reviewer: Markus Wiedenmann
Rating: 8/10