STEVE HOGARTH & RICHARD BARBIERI – Arc Light (2014)

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Two heavy-weights from the Prog scenario have joined forces for a new project; Marillion frontman STEVE HOGARTH and RICHARD BARBIERI, who has been a core member of Porcupine Tree playing keyboards on all the band’s albums since 1993 as well as releasing two solo albums.
The duo already worked together before, and now are presenting their new record “Arc Light”.

The Marillion and Porcupine Tree camps have in recent years spawned a rather impressive amount of extracurricular projects, with Transatlantic, Kino, DeeExpus, Blackfield and OSI, among others all making some increasingly intricate and impressive music.
However back in 1997 Hogarth teamed up with Porcupine Tree synth wizard Richard Barbieri for the vocalist first and so far only solo album. On the whole that release was Marillion-lite, with a Pop vibe making for a fun listen.
Since then the pair have frequently spoken about working together again, although it has taken several years for the fruits of their labours to result in an album’s worth of material – and one which is almost as far removed from their previous collaboration as it possibly could be.

Pleasingly different from Marillion and P-Tree, “Arc Light” is a dark, eerie exploration of moods, textures and atmospheres that relies more on creating expansive washes of sound than it does conventional songs. Progressive could be one way to describe it, but synth led Art-Rock may well be closer to the mark.
“Arc Light” is a real grower of an album, with a crystal clear and at times intentionally unnerving sound being beautiful, ethereal, yet somehow claustrophobic and oppressive at the same time. Hogarth thrives in this sparse, moody setting with his voice being a beacon of light, if not always hope, in the gloom – an effect that is doubled when he contrasts his stunning vocals with an evocative narrative style which he uses to speak many of the lyrics.
Sliding beautifully from song to song, this is an album that demands to be listened to in its entirety, with the mood created ebbing, flowing and building as the music progresses.

“Arc Light” is a quite different album from what you might expect from these two talented musicians. Hogarth & Barbieri go here for a musical landscape which privileges atmospheres above bombast.
It’s a relaxed affair, but at times moving, complex, multilayered (both instrumentally and vocally) spooky, goofy and of course, very personal.
Even with the hugely impressive catalogue that Hogarth and Barbieri have amassed over the years, “Arc Light” ranks among their most creative efforts.
Give it a try, it’s a quite stunning stuff.

01 – Arc Light
02 – Intergalactic (Arc Light Version)
03 – Daddy Does Work
04 – Oil
05 – Elaine
06 – Intergalactic (Original Version) [digital bonus]
07 – Red Kite [digital bonus]
08 – Your Beautiful Face [digital bonus]

Steve Hogarth – vocals
Richard Barbieri – keyboards, synths, programming
Danny Thompson – double bass
Arran Ahmun (John Martyn) – drums
Chris Maitland (ex- Porcupine Tree) – drums
Dave Gregory (XTC) – guitar, bass, string arrangements

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www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Steve-Hogarth-Richard-Barbieri/dp/B00J8Y86VY
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