What might you think when you pick up an album titled "Anthology" from a band that released its last studio effort in 2021 ("Altitude") and then settled for a live album ("Live in the Netherlands" 2023)? As if to confirm the thought that's already been nagging at you, the new release includes a 42-page insert, a significant portion of which is devoted to the band's history written by John Young and numerous photographs. On the other hand, the aforementioned anthology also includes (sic!) one brand new recording featuring guest drummer Simon Philips. Add to this "confusion" the fact that this release covers fourteen years of the band's existence, which dates back to 2008, when progressive rock veteran John Young, known for his work in groups such as The Strawbs, John Wetton, Bonnie Tyler, The Scorpions, and Fish, began writing the first songs for the album, which was eventually released in 2013 and titled "Lifesigns." No... if anyone thought this was some kind of "epitaph," they should immediately erase that assumption. Lifesigns isn't disbanding (or at least, there's no word on it yet). Three studio albums and one live album aren't the end of the band's career. "Anthology" should rather be treated as a release in the frequently appearing "An Introduction To..." series—an attempt to introduce the band's achievements to new listeners; fans who don't yet realize that in the first second of the first track, they'll join the ranks of loyal listeners of the entire cross-section of this band's music. Because the selection of songs is... excellent – eight compositions and almost sixty minutes of music from all their albums (including one live track, which is actually new). And, it's worth emphasizing, this isn't a chronological selection.
Please ignore the first words of the first track on this compilation: "Seems quite impossible to me / That I can hear you singing," and perhaps the first words of the chorus of the same song: "Seems quite impossible to me / That I can hear you smiling." It is possible, it is as natural a reflex as the moment you decide to put this album on. This release is simply a fascinating journey on the wings of wonderful songs that not only sound calm, gentle, and incredibly melodic, but are also arranged to create in the listener a feeling of communing with the music of heaven. The entire anthology is a collection of songs that evoke a lazy smile and a desire to join the band. "Impossible" – the first track from the anthology, and also a track from the band's second album, titled "Cardington" from 2017 is a bit of a surprise, but an extremely positive one, creating an atmosphere of blissful immersion from the very first second. The next track, "Telephone," from the band's first album from 2013, continues to sound both poignant and melodic. The nine minutes fly by, leaving one wanting more of the lulling, atmospheric music. "At the End of the World" – also from the band's first album – spends eight minutes weaving and circling through a vast expanse of familiar, yet oh-so-fascinating sounds. "Gregarious" – a leap forward to 2021 and the album "Altitude." It sounds a bit more serious, but maintains the (presumably intended) rhythmic balance of its predecessors – winding with gentle chords and delicate vocals. "Cardington" – the title track from the second album, fits into this well-thought-out anthology, though the band's improvisational tendencies are more clearly audible. It's a bit bolder in terms of arrangement. One gets the impression that the intention of this anthology is to increase the sharpness and expressiveness of subsequent tracks. Although this "sharpness" also lulls and can deliver a feeling of endless drifting in a land of beautiful sounds. The next two compositions – “Fortitude” and “Last One Home” – come from the band’s latest full-length album, “Altitude,” and the latter is also presented here in a live version, which on the one hand shows the band’s concert prowess and on the other allows for further musical daydreaming.
Finally, the band serves up a new composition, "After All" The atmospheric piano and delicate vocals, along with the string section, simply make the whole thing flow like a ballad, wandering through a river of contentment and a sense of communion with beauty. The background choruses and magnificent guitar solos add charm and a slightly symphonic styling to the whole thing. This version of John Wetton's song from the album "Archaniel" takes on a new dimension in this performance. Is this a sign of a new album, a new tour, something new...? Is this a sign of rebirth...? Perhaps the addition of new drummer Simon Philips has something to do with it. I don't know. For now, we'll have to make do with this nearly fifty-nine-minute anthology while we wait for more sounds from the Lifesigns camp. It's been a while since the last album, so perhaps it's time for another one. At the same time, this anthology is a good opportunity to revisit the band's work, because it's truly worth immersing yourself in pure beauty from time to time.
For my personal use, I treat this anthology as an "An Introduction To..." publication, not as a summary of the band's work. So what if it's been fourteen years since the band formed. Musically, that's still too short.
