REVIEW - Micah 'Kain' Rollins  (www.progarchives.com)

"Modern progressive rock is in a very odd state currently. Alot of newcomers to the genre are discovering new and old music equally, and are therefore accepting of bands regardless of their era. However, the more seasoned listeners of years past are much harder to please. Why is this? Well, some would have you believe that all new prog is made up of nothing more than copycat musicians who only make 'more of the same' music that lacks originallity. This isn't completely true, however, as there are many modern bands today that can still manage to remain utterly original despite the overwhelming volume of past influences.

Yet, there are those too who believe that all prog rock is valid no matter what, and we should just 'accept' that originality is long dead and the new musicians are doing the best they can. This is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the past viewpoint, and is also just as untrue. In my opinion, the reality of modern Prog Rock is somewhere in between. Indeed, while several supposed 'prog' bands today seem to lack the magic that the past masters had (which just happen to include alot of Progressive Metal acts like Shadow Gallery or Pyramaze), there are many more out there that do capture the spirit of the old days by doing the unthinkable; they actually *gasp!* do something original! The bands I'm talking about include but are not limited to: Porcupine Tree, Echolyn, Tool, Ozric Tentacles, Edensong, Rishloo, etc. Then, there are the modern bands that started out in amazing form, but for whatever reason lost their creative path and purpose along the way (bands such as The Mars Volta and Dream Theater are prime examples of this).

So,
in a nutshell, modern Progressive Rock is very divided at this point, I believe. Some of the bands out their truly are still trying to push the musical envelope in new and interesting ways, and others are, well, just riding the coat tails of the real pioneers. Basically, the Progressive movement of today consists of obvious imitators, one-hit wonders and then the bands that actually succeed at taking music further. As I listened to The Tea Club's release, "General Winter's Secret Museum", the question I had to ask myself was simple: which of the three categories do these guys truly fall into?

Well, obviousely The Tea Club hasn't been around long enough to stagnate, so the second category can be ruled out immediately. But what of the band's integrety? Do they really care about the genre and treat it with the proper respect? Do they look at music from the right perspective, and most importantly, does their sound stand out enough to be considered a valid part of modern Prog? I am happy to say that after several intense listens of this album, the answer to all of those question is a resounding 'yes'!

So why do I love this band? Well, for starters, they have managed to make me feel moved in ways I didn't realize were still vulnerable. I've heard so musch music that considers itself 'prog' by this time that I'm always forced to stand back and take notice when a certain combination of notes or rhythm can surprise me in such a way. Those moments happened quite frequently with me as I listened to "General Winter". Also, I love this band because they aren't afraid to write and play what they want. It's very clear to me that none of these tracks were ever written with the intend of being the next radio sensation. There is virtually no immediately accessible content to be found here, which is in no way bad. However, I was very surprised that not one song sounded commercial. Alot of inde bands try to release at least a couple of works that are aimed at conventional audience's short attention spans, but not these guys; they know what they want to say through their art, and "accept us" sure as hell isn't it! It's all about the music with The Tea Club, no doubt about it.

The album itself has its ups and downs, as does everything, but even the lowest points on the record started to feel valid to me after the first couple of listens. The entire piece is very well orchestrated, and everything feels like it should be there. In other words, by the time I had listened to ''General Winter'' all the way through the third time, nothing sounded like filler to my ears. Every note had a point, every vocal flourish was there for a reason, and the instrumentation always sounded like music. Many bands this day an age have made something of a sport out of technical playing ability, but it's good to see that these guys know when to play alot and when to play a little. Anything frilly or technically flashy was kept in check, and never went past the comfort zone for me. It was the perfect balance of emotion and technique being expressed through the instruments.

The best tracks in my opinion are "Werewolves", "Castle Builder", "Purple Chukz", "Will O' the Wisp" and "IceClock", but all of the songs are great. I was never bored my anything, and things only felt a little too long at one point, which upon my second listen no longer bothered me.

The influences are definately audible, but I must emphasize that The Tea Club is still a breed unto themselves. There may be traces of past bands present in their sound from time to time, but never does anything feel like a blatent rip-off, and I still can't think of any one band that sounds even remotely similar to these guys. Trust me, this is the real deal as far as originallity is concerned. Some of the influences I managed to pick up however were Beatles, King Crimson, and even some Symphonic prog bleeding in there every now and then. But don't think that Prog is the only thing that has influenced these guys. Interestingly enough, grunge and garage-rock also plays a significant role in this band's exciting new sound. For every Robert Fripp-ism present, there is also an equally valid burst of energy, with distortion and aggressive power-playing. Don't worry, this isn't Nirvana, or anything, but there is enough heaviness to the music on this record to make it a potential listen for Rage Against the Machine fans as well as seasoned Floyd conosoiurs.

The musicians featured are very skilled. Many times the playing abilities still floor me. The Tea Club isn't a technically virtuostic band per se, but when necessary, they can definately play some licks that are much more complex than any of the typical pop bands of this era could dream of.

So what do we have, here? We have originallity, rich amount of influences, superb, tight musicianship, music stylings and concepts that push the envelope and ultimately take music places it has never gone before. All of these things scream of Prog in it's purest form. The talent is there, the passion is clear, and the potential is very evident. As long as these guys keep making music, and make it for the right reasons, their sound will continue to excell and grow and I just hope they recieve as much recognition as possible. They need to succeed and be heard by as many people as possible.

Bottom line: with an exciting blend of garage-rock and classic prog stylings, The Tea Club is one of the few bands in existance today who can truly say that they are completely original. Truly, I have not heard another band quite like them, and in this day in age, that is indeed saying something. This is a prime example of what actually passion and love for originallity in music can bring. As far as I am concerned, this is true Eclectic Prog in it's purest, most valid form. "General Winter's Secret Museum" should not be overlooked by any true progressive rock fan.

Verdict: 4 out of 5.

--Micah 'Kain' Rollins, musician and ProgArchives.com Collaborator."