Short Reviews [Head with Wings - 2023 - "Without Intervention"]

There have been some changes in the Heads With Wings camp since their last release, the excellent ‘Comfort In Illusion’, with Mike Short (drums), Brandon Cousino (guitar) and singer Joshua Corum the only people still there, and the album was recorded with the assistance of bassist Connor Oyster and keyboard player Vikram Shankar (who also produced this). I have been a fan of this band since I was first introduced to Joshua by Pat Sanders of Drifting Sun who had utilised his talents on ‘Planet Junkie’, and although I thoroughly enjoyed their last release, here we find them taking their sound to a new level. In some ways they concentrate on the vocals in the same manner as Marillion do with Hogarth, but the major difference is that their music never becomes boring or over sanitised, and there is a life and depth within it which at times is reminiscent of classic Muse, although Pineapple Thief have also made their influence felt. This never seems like an American album as their influences are very British in many ways, with an incredibly complex rhythm section which never stops, keyboards providing a backdrop and complicated guitar lines where Brandon ties in with the bass to provide intricate runs, or in with the piano at others, or just riffs as if he is in a neo prog outfit at others. Over the top of the maelstrom are the effortless vocals of Joshua who can seamlessly drop into falsetto when the time is right, ensuring he is providing exactly the right counterpoint to provide an additional edge of polish, an additional level of finesse. The music is always moving, never stopping too long in one place and it feels as if we are being taken on a journey down a river which is not exactly meandering, more that there are pleasant twists and turns but there is always clear direction. It is modern, it is fresh, never looking back into the Seventies but instead moving forward in a way which borders on the commercial (listen to “Comfort In Illusion” to see what I mean), but always maintains its integrity and depth so it is enjoyable to progheads and also those who would never admit to liking the genre (I did not inhale, honest). Polished, but always still with that hint of something stronger, and the guitars never too far away, this is yet another wonderful release from Head With Wings and my only complaint is that at 36 minutes it is just too short, but then there is no excuse not to play it all over again.