Just when you think prog rock icons Marillion can’t possibly do anything more creative than their last cd, they pull another rabbit out of the hat and the recently released, “Less is More” is just that and a testament to the cd’s title.
Indeed, they speak the truth.
Taking previously recorded tracks and stripping them down, rearranging the music and looking at songs with 3D goggle glasses, you have a provocative cd that manages to sound like a collection of new songs vs. a reinvention of past ones. That is the true beauty of “Less Is More”.
Re-releases always seem to hold tremendous promise and then fall short once you press play. You’ll find some differences and maybe a change in production but rarely do you find diverse arrangements, new instruments, and vocals that work harmoniously and yet simultaneously pay homage to the original and varying it enough to make you feel you have doubled your aural pleasure.
All of this is especially commendable as Marillion has built their reputation on a bigger than life sound by embracing the use of state of the art electronic sequencers, midi and complex arrangements that lend themselves to an electric context.
Easy would be to stay wrapped in that electric blanket, but Marillion proves that easy isn’t always the best choice and that sometimes you can find a new “voice” when you are stripped of any artifice.
4.5 Stars
