Short Reviews [Tiger Moth Tales - 2020 - "Still Alive"]

Since Pete Jones first burst into the scene, he has been an absolute revelation, both in his own solo work and with the many bands he is involved with, creating music which is always immediate and enjoyable, and just seeing him involved in any project is a sure-fire way of knowing that it will be worth hearing. 2020 initially promised to be a busy year for Pete Jones, with an album already recorded in January and various gig commitments with Tiger Moth Tales, Red Bazar, Francis Dunnery's It Bites and his usual pub and club gigs. But, Covid-19 put paid to a lot of plans, as it did for most musicians. ‘Still Alive’ is Jones's take on the lockdown situation, “There are different moods in the songs, inspired by my own alternating feelings. From visions of a doomed world, and a growing tone of madness, to a desire to see the positives and the spirit of endurance and survival.” This mini album (32 minutes) also comes with a live DVD, but I only have the music, which has been provided solely by Pete. Being in lockdown and recording is a struggle for many musicians, but not so much when one is a multi-instrumentalist with an unwavering sense of melody. Most of his albums are recorded totally solo, or possibly with just a single guest, so this is nothing new to someone who generally bases his songs on keyboards, adding all the additional instruments as required. There are some very Hackett-style guitars on here, and perhaps unsurprisingly some pieces (especially “Whistle Along”) which could have come from Camel. He has been a member of that band for five years now, and perhaps it may be too much to hope for a new Camel album from himself, Andy Latimer, Colin Bass and Denis Clement one can only dream. They may not have released an album since 2002 (unless you include the re-recording of ‘The Snow Goose’), but Pete Jones is determined to make up for it with his prolific output. Released in August, this was the precursor to ‘The Whispering Of The World’ which came out in December, yet there even though there is quantity there is never any diminishment in quality, and yet again he has produced a wonderfully inventive, immediate, welcoming, and totally enjoyable prog album.