Matt Stevens: Lucid

Prog guitar experimentalist Matt Stevens has goes all out on his new album Lucid. His previous albums centered around his looping skills and there's still a bit of that in tracks like The Other Side but the main focus lies on darker tunes like the Robert Fripp-inspired motives in The Ascent, with ex-King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto playing up a storm. Stevens found a wealth a worthy fellow musicians to help him out weaving his multifaceted compositions. Endless gigging and heavy use of social media enable him to hook up him with like minded souls and secure a record deal with Cherry Red imprint Esoteric Antenna.

Stevens had to fight off some demons in the last couple of years, which led to a haunting song about Coulrophobia (fear of clowns, a great word for Scrabble-addicts) and the pièce de résistance, the 11 minute monster The Bridge. Stevens goes through hills and valleys, beckoning the listener to follow him, never mind the scary creatures hiding in the bushes. He caresses his acoustic like Mike Oldfield before taking a sharp left with an electronic assault like he does with his band The Fierce And The Dead.

Lucid is Matt Stevens 2.0. Louder and far more aggressive, coming close to prog metal. As if to reassure that there's light at the end of tunnel, the album's closer A Boy serves as a gentle acoustic coda - King Crimson meets Jethro Tull, with Steve Hackett nodding approvingly.

Matt Stevens: guitars
Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson): drums
Lorenzo Feliciati (Naked Truth): bass
Charlie Cawood: (Knifeworld): bass, pipa
Kev Feazey (The Fierce And The Dead): bass
Jem Godfrey (Frost): keyboards
Emmett Elvin (Chrome Hoof / Guapo): keyboards
Chrissie Caulfield (Helicopter Quartet / Crippled Black Phoenix): violin
Jon Hart: vibes
Nicholas Wyatt Duke (Trojan Horse): guitar