LONELY ROBOT – Feelings Are Good [Limited Digipak +2] (2020)

An unsung hero of Progressive Rock, John Mitchell with his band LONELY ROBOT has yet again delivered an outstanding new album with “Feelings Are Good [Limited Digipak +2]” – to be released next Friday. A wonderful piece of work that is worthy of the highest praise.
An absolute must for fans of authentic music, ‘Feelings Are Good’ is the most emotionally charged album of 2020. Partake, dear reader, hear the emotion, and let it bare your own soul to yourself – it will definitely make you feel better.

The album opens with the very short title track. It is sung without backing music, but a vocal effect is added to give him a more robotic sound. It sets up the more personal nature of the album and the results of feelings and human emotions, both the good and the tragic.
The record properly gets going with “Into the Lo-Fi” which is classic Lonely Robot.
It starts off mainly with keys and Mitchell’s vocals before the chorus and crunchy guitars kick in. He is a remarkably consistent songwriter and certainly has developed his own sound over the years. Equal parts prog and shining melodic pop melodies, the combination works very well.

Things get heavier and more aggressive with the following song, “Spiders.” The music of LR is very rarely anything I would call dark. But this song certainly goes into that territory.
Presumably an account of love gone wrong, this is one of the heaviest songs on the album, venturing more into metal territory than just rock. Keys of course still play a major part of the sound, but it is the guitars that drive the song along. That and pounding drums of Craig Blundell who gives at times a subtle, and other times thunderous performance throughout the song.

On the opposite side of the band’s sound is “Crystalline” which is almost entirely soft and quiet. Driven mostly by piano and background ambiance, it is a lonely song. In the latter half of the song, electric strings come in and a guitar solo builds intensity, and the emotional effect is quite effective.

Jumping forward we come to two of my favorite songs on the album, “Keeping People As Pets” and “Army of One.”
They both exist on the heavier and more prog side of the band’s sound. “KPAP” deals with emotional abuse, both on a personal level, but also arching outward on a societal level. The chorus is especially effective, with heavier keys and guitars, but also grittier and more aggressive vocals as well.

“Army of One” is one of the longest songs on the album, clocking in at a little over six minutes (which granted is really short by prog standards). The heavier aspect for this song relies on keys as much as the guitar and drums. The vocals are also more aggressive when called for, and the mixture of the aggression coupled with a melody that will stick in your head is overall highly effective.

The album proper ends with the very short (1:25) “Grief Is the Price of Love.” I think the title says everything that needs to be said about what the song is about. Pain and grief are indeed the price of loving anything, the price of living, and of being human; you can’t escape it no matter how you try.
This is the effectual end of the album, but included are two bonus tracks, orchestra versions of “The Silent Life” and “Crystalline.”

Lonely Robot is clearly a love project for John Mitchell and one he pours his heart and soul into. Abandoning the sci-fi theme of previous albums for something more personal, ‘Feelings Are Good’ finds this master songwriter at his best, with a highly personal and engaging album.
Occasionally going into prog metal territory, this album is solid prog rock, occasional flares of technical prowess, but focused far more on effective and highly addictive songwriting and engaging melodies.
Highly Recommended

01. Feelings Are Good
02. Into The Lo-Fi
03. Spiders
04. Crystalline
05. Life Is A Sine Wave
06. Armour For My Heart
07. Suburbia
08. The Silent Life
09. Keeping People As Pets
10. Army Of One
11. Grief Is The Price Of Love
DIGIPAK BONUS TRACKS:
12. The Silent Life (Orchestral Version)
13. Crystalline (Orchestral Version)

Craig Blundell (Frost*) – drums
John Mitchell (Frost*, Arena, It Bites) – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards

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www.amazon.co.uk/Feelings-Are-Good-Limited-Digipak/dp/B088GGHFGJ