Artist: STEVE THORNE
Album: PART TWO: EMOTIONAL CREATURES (CD)

Release date: 2007
Media type: CD

With his fresh, simple artrock which reminded of Peter Gabriel and Marillion, he sweetened our summer of 2005. “Emotional Creatures: Part One“ was the album’s title with which Steve Thorne made his debut as a solo artist. And now the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist continues his ironical, partly cynical observations of man as an emotional being. “Part Two: Emotional Creatures“ sounds a bit quieter and darker than the previous record – and offers even more subtle details.

Again, Steve Thorne wrote, composed and arranged all titles himself, and again there were guests Nick D'Virgilio (Spock‘s Beard), Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Geoff Downes (Asia). “That’s because they did a great job on Part One, and because I wanted a sound continuity along with the continuation of the album’s contents,“ explains Thorne. Martin Orford (IQ, Jadis) is again also featured but this time he performs on only two songs. Other guest musicians were Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield): “I am a big Porcupine Tree fan and thought it would be great to have Gavin’s drums beside Tony“, is Thorne’s terse comment about this double increase. “I am more than pleased with the result.“
Thematically, “Part One“ and “Two“ are similar: “Both albums deal with aspects of human life. Each individual has its own background and reflects in its behaviour its particular frame of mind. ‘Emotional Creatures‘ describes my reception of such things.“ Although the rough material for ‘Part Two‘ was written at the same time as ‘Part One‘, part two should sound darker and more spheric. Furthermore, there is a great deal of details this time which you can enjoy best when listening to the album with headphones on. Certain layers in different songs can only be explored this way,“ the British artist says mysteriously.

But even without headphones, “Part Two: Emotional Creatures“ is a great listening. After the overture with driving drums and floating synth sounds (“Toxicana Apocalypso“) the first highlight follows with the track “Wayward“: phaser guitar arpeggios as a base for a wonderful vocal melody. (Thorne says, “‘Part One‘ ends with a peaceful ‘Good bye‘ at the end of the day. ‘Wayward‘ describes a city layabout’s rude awakening into reality.“). With “Crossfire“, Thorne once again demonstrates his talent to start in a quiet way and then hit all the harder. That’s because this anti-war ballad – well arranged with acoustic guitar, piano and strings – originated after Thorne’s visit of a Memorial Hospital, at the bed of soldiers who were dying after their deployment abroad.

“Great Ordeal“ (“The observation of a couple that has become impoverished and copes with the misery through hope and bravely making plans.“) sounds like a mixture of Genesis and Jethro Tull (if Tull’s “Aqualung“ was the godfather here?) with the folk guitar, flute sounds and the vocal melody that reminds of “God Bless America“ from the first part. The conclusion is “Sandheads“ the longest piece of the album with seven minutes running time – a chansonesque track richly arranged with cello, flute, strings and piano, a song with which the musician again reminds us, „...that neither money nor politics is what life actually should be about.“

Steve Thorne may be a hopeless romantic. But perhaps this is exactly the prerequisite in order to be able to write such brilliant songs. At the moment, there possibly is only “Blackfield II“ to level with this album. And of course “Emotional Creatures: Part One“.

TRACKLIST:

01. Toxicana Apocalypso
02. Wayward
03. Crossfire
04. Roundabout
05. Hounded
06. All The Wisemen
07. Great Ordeal
08. 6 AM (Your Time)
09. Solace
10. The White Dove Song
11. Sandheads

LINE-UP:

Steve Thorne (vocals, guitars, keyboards)
Nick DґVirgilio (drums)
Tony Levin (bass)
Geoff Downes (keyboards)
Pete Trewavas (bass)
Gavin Harrison (drums)