Blue 42 - Evil Cries

Hear The Track Here

As you all know, I have long been a rock animal and - over the years - I've managed to champion many another rock animal. When you think of bands like Avalanche, Soul Dust et al then you'll know that to really be solid with me, you have to know exactly what every rock animal needs and craves. Red meat and lots of it. I have been exposed to both sides of the rock story (US/UK) in my own life and I have much time for either variety (Ed: and any number of sub-varieties too) and it was always thus. As if to prove my point, lemme tell you a story. Or at least I will once you stop yawning and groaning. Soundclick wasn't always as active in rock as it is these days and good guitarists were thin on the ground. I reviewed Ty Kaufman first in mid 2004 and developed a marked taste for this musician's fluidity and style. It helped that he had a band, soon to be kown as EL84 for some unknown reason and that name may resonate with longer term readers.

It's been almost a year since I last hear from them in any form and since then - from what I can gather - the band has lost its vocalist Steve Calapp and half its bandname number and become Blue 42. Quite what it is about numbers I have no idea but let's press on. Where EL84 delighted in American style arena rock, Blue 42 have on another rock guise - and here I must pause to take a deep breath - progressive rock. Aha, you say, now we know and indeed you do that having lived through the gory that was American prog rock (think Kansas/Styx/Rush) the first time around, I am extremely loathe to approach it twice. Having said that, we are dealing with a perfectionist or two here and you can bet that - whatever the genre - here are musicians who know the score.

Shoot, most of them wrote it.

To be honest, I'm not sure whether the genre puts me off, but I have heard Ty in much better musical form than this. There again, to be even more honest, I'm not sure that this is a change for the better. Its not that it isn't good, its obviously more than good in a technical way, but will that reach out to yer average listener who has no interest inprog rock in any form? Still, mine is not to reason why, and I cannot fault this track on a technical level and Ty is certainly as front and centre as always but this track just refused to touch me. Strange really, because the one thing about those early Ty Kaufmann Group/EL84 tracks were that they did touch me, and very effectively too. If you like the genre, this will definitely be of interest but I doubt if it will gather much outside of that. There again, this is the first track I have heard and I will be back for more.

Recommended technically professional prog rock, of the American strain.