BRUCE MAIN: Press

For anyone who doesn't know Bruce Main; he has an solid background in many elements (pun intended) of music. Bruce was a founding member of- Medusa, an American northwest progressive rock band in the 1970's. He played lead guitar with The Eddies, a rock band as well as Mania, a prog metal group- again from the northwest He has been part owner and chief engineer of commercial recording studios, a live sound and systems engineer doing shows for everyone from Bob Hope to Slayer and a sound system designer working on projects including everything from NFL stadiums to clubs, theaters and churches.
So does his new album reflect his impressive resume? That's a difficult question to answer with a simple yes or no. If you are looking for cutting edge progressive music, or Sleepytime Gorilla Museum or Present, then look elsewhere. And of course subjective is subjective... but for proggers that don't mind melody, fear not; Bruce Main creates solid rock music, which leans towards the less heavy, with strong progressive undertones.
Bruce Main is a prolific composer who has released an album each year from 2004-06. He is an excellent guitarist who doesn't push the edge, but creates well-crafted and very listenable solos (ala David Gilmour), along with nice acoustic work. His compositions are pleasing to the ear. The `Elements' CD doesn't explore any radical departures from Main's previous releases, but it does contain a loose environmental theme- possibly influenced by his trip to Nome, Alaska in 2006. Voices are well done by Mark Phraner and specially Freddie Krumins.
Though the first two tracks didn't impress me in a grip you by the throat way, they are solid pieces that lead you into the meat and potatoes in which the three impressive middle tracks reside, making this album a must buy. The first- `Feel the Rain,' is a sad ballad about a farmer's fields drying up until it does rain. Yet it still comes through as a strikingly beautiful song with excellent piano by Bruce Jones and Hackett-esque trappings by Mr. Main. This simple, yet gorgeous song leads the listener into the more proggier tunes.
My favorite track showcases Bruce's sense of humor, about a scary subject- global warming. Entitled `Arctic Toast,' the track is the quirkiest and is almost annoyingly too ear-catching. This is tongue and cheek melodic prog at it's finest.
After a fine track called `Things of Earth,' with solid vocals and some nice bass clarinet, the longest track- the 14 plus minute `Red Flags.' Excellent performances and some nice tempo and style changes within the composition. The melodies grow on you. One thing I would love to hear is a bit more dynamics... which IMHO is essential for longer compositions.
Being a newbie to Bruce Main's background, I was unaware of his engineering savvy and hence was pleasantly surprised by the excellent production on `Elements.' I would have liked to hear more pop in the mix, especially during solos, but the album has a nicely mastered feel without too many layers and over dubs. The CD has a greater band `presence' than previous Main releases. It would be nice to see this group of talented musician fuse their melodic compositions with lengthier solos and instrumental passages. The songwriting is strong enough to hold up.
Graphic-wise, I have to be honest, though I'll give it points for being differet, I hate the front cover. The periodic table is terribly dull and totally would turn me off if I was a casual buyer in my local music store, especially knowing that it is a very personal album by a talented songwriter.

Nevertheless, Bruce Main's `Elements' album took a while to get used to, as I am not always into the mellow prog mood, but after a couple plays, I was hooked. This is a good album to get the easy listener into light prog. This is also an artist to follow, as he is constantly striving to get better and with this CD, it is evident that it is his strongest work yet. Reccomended!


Rated 8.7/10 (and higher if like the- light Prog/singer-songwriter genre.

Elements is the latest, and third, release from Bruce Main, is centered around modern themes of global warming & climate change, with each song taking on a specific area of our environment that’s affected I have had the pleasure of reviewing his previous albums, Tracks (2004) and Layers (2005), and the 2006 release, Elements.
Joining Bruce this time around are Brian Phraner (bass, lead vocals), Freddy Krumins (lead vocals), Don Freeborn (Drums), Matt Main (Bass Clarinet) and Bruce Jones (piano). These musicians help Bruce realize his musical ideals and his desire to make artistic music.

With no pun intended, I believe that Bruce’s music progresses with each release and brings a better product each time. While I’ve enjoyed each of the releases, Elements is my favorite so far. Elements gets a high recommendation from me and deserves to be in every symphonic progressive rock fan’s collection.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on January 31st, 2007

Bruce Main is a US-based artist that has been around for quite some time. He has been active in more or less well known prog bands since the 70's, and has also had a successful career in sound engineering and related areas, from mixing to installments of large scale sound systems. After some years’ hiatus from producing music, Bruce started recording and releasing solo albums a few years back, and Elements is his third release as a solo artist.

Musically I find it a tad difficult to place Bruce Main's music. Most songs have a 70's tinge to them in my opinion, although I can't pinpoint any special references here. Bits and pieces of songs makes me think of artists as different as Genesis, Gentle Giant, Kansas and Tom Petty, but the overall sound here sounds, in lack of better descriptions, original. This in spite of the 70's feel I get when listening to this music.

The overall musical expressions on this release are on the slightly mellow side, and quite varied as such. All of it within a musical framework I personally would call "classic prog rock". No metal edges here, few if any touches from hard rock. The music can at times have some moments of folk, psychedelic or jazz influence to it, but mostly this is classic, melodic prog rock.

The songs on this release have an overall high quality as well. Well played, produced and performed, with good melodies, interesting moods and well thought out instrumental explorations. No instant classics here, but no fillers either. Just a good, solid release.

I'd recommend anyone into mellow rock as well as fans of melodic prog rock to check out this release. For specific tracks to check out, "The Heat" and "Things of Earth" are tracks that will give you a feel for the album, as well as the dreamy "One Day". All of them available from iTunes, as is the rest of this album.


My rating: 77/100

In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft!

Bruce Main will niemandem mehr etwas beweisen und macht was ihm Spass macht. Und wenn man das so offensichtlich auf seinem dritten "Solo-Album" hört, dann ist das alleine eine positive Einschätzung wert.

Der US-Amerikaner trommelt ein paar alte Weggefährten zusammen und produziert in seinem "Home-Recording" Studio relaxte, leichtfüssige Rock-Songs, die eingängig sind, aber nicht platt, die hardrockig sind, aber nicht klischeehaft, die proggy sind, aber nicht symphonisch-bombastisch. In der Tradition eines Steve Hackett, eines Ant Phillips, in Teilen an Camel erinnernd, musiziert Bruce Main "altertümlich" anmutend, aber nicht alt klingend. Die Musik wird mit einer Prise (europäischen) Folk durchzogen, es gibt Einflüsse aus 70er Jahre "Hard-"Rock Combos, zumindest lassen diese Gedanken ein "Shouter" Namens Freddy Krumins und so manche "dreckige" Gitarrenpassage zu. Insgesamt aber ist da ein gewisser "akustischer" Sound, der den roten Faden für Elements spinnt. Viele Piano-Läufe, viele ruhige Passagen, mal jubilierende, mal akustische Gitarren; in Things Of Earth eine wahrlich betörende Bass-Klarinette und so fort.

Die Stimmungen bewegen sich zwischen fröhlich beschwingt und melancholisch, nicht aber schwermütig. Geschickt werden "Retro-Versatzstücke" in den Sound verwoben. Mal gibt es angedeutete "Gentle Giant Vocal Akrobatik" (Arctic Toast), "Genesis-Gimmicks" im Longtrack Red Flags, oder einfach nur wunderschöne, hymnische, aber nicht kitschige Singer/Songwriter Balladen (Feel The Rain).

In aller Ruhe haben Bruce Main und seine Kameraden ein Album eingespielt, dass mal wieder Progger und "normale" Leute unter einen Hut kriegen könnte. Eine völlig unaufgeregte Prock-Scheibe aus den USA, die vielleicht etwas stark nach Europa klingt (was so mancher Progger als positiv empfindet), die womöglich etwas mehr "Saft" vertragen könnte - oder aber Bruce Main wollte den Sound so "authentisch" wie möglich halten. Das wäre ihm vollauf gelungen. Ein wirklich schönes Stück Musik, dass niemanden in wilde Raserei verfallen lassen muss, aber auf hochwertige Weise unterhält und Spass macht. Empfohlen!

Prolusion. With Dimitry Mendeleev's table of elements as its artwork, here is "Elements", the third solo album by American artist Bruce MAIN, following "Layers" (2005) and "Tracks" (2004).

Analysis. Apart from Bruce, who plays guitars and keyboards, this recording includes five more musicians: clarinetist Matt Main, drummer Don Freeborn, bassist Brian Phraner and two singers, Mark Phraner and Freddy Krumins, although on one of the seven songs present (no instrumentals here) pianist Bruce Jones is also featured. As Mr. Main says, undeniably progressive yet accessible to the masses, this album could be the one that brings Prog Rock back into the mainstream of the commercial musical scene after a 30-year hiatus. I will not comment on the latter ambitious statement, but I agree, while being overall unpretentious, his music is not without progressive elements. Even the atmospheric ballad One Day (the only one without rhythm section) has its fine moments, though its thematic uniformity makes it the most monotonous number in the set. Of the other two slow-paced songs, Feel the Rain and Things of Earth, the former is a typical ballad with a single, yet agreeable piano interlude, whilst the latter contains two instrumental sections, one of which stands out for its expressive interplay between acoustic guitar and bass clarinet. Beginning with a Flamenco-inspired movement, the long Red Flags (14:25) is the only track here that more of less fully conforms to my concept of genuine Progressive Rock and is generally good, despite all the pointless effects and the sounds of nature present (in its middle section) and some repetitions as well. Being a kind of traditionally-gentlemanly collection of tracks, the CD contains also a hard-rocker, The Heat, and two art-rock-like songs, Before and Arctic Toast, all of which would've been much more impressive had they not been overloaded with singing and featured less returns to previously paved furrows either.

Conclusion. IMHO, Bruce Main's main achievement (ouch, sorry) lies in the fact that he never betrays the originality of his compositional thinking. Although really while consisting predominantly of elementary particles (figuratively speaking), none of the tracks on this recording arouse any associations; hence the rating.

VM: Agst 2, 2007

''Layers'' is the newest solo project of the North American multi-instrumentalist Bruce Main, who began early playing the piano, but devoting himself to the guitars when being still a teenager. Bruce was also co-founder of the seminal Northwest Progressive Rock band, Medusa, joining later to the Midwest Rock band, The Eddies. As I understand it, the ''Layers'' album is his second effort, having the ''Tracks'' album released last year as his debut, which it's still unknown to my ears so far. His current work features eight top-notch cuts, revealing quite a very talented musician, who knows how to sing and perform his instrument sublimely. I must further say that most of Bruce Main's compositions are strongly developed under a melodious sound, keeping often a perfect balance of each song on the album, and affording this work quite a noteworthy repertoire overall. Musically, I'd say this album is one of the best symphonic releases that I have had the pleasure of listening to these days, whose sound won't let any fan of David Gilmour indifferent to it whereas much of Bruce Main's playing evokes the same feeling. The album offers some stunning bucolic passages as well, mostly when being under the sway of the acoustic guitars. Summing it up, this album is quite a splendid symphonic one, that will surely please all those who have been currently looking for something worth. Though I appreciate the whole content of the album, I'd like to call the readers' attention to the following songs: ''First Second'', ''Gwendolyn'', ''Father'', ''Lies'' and ''You Don't Know''. The musicians engaged in this project are: Bruce Main - Guitars, vocals & sound field recording, Brian Phraner - Bass & Bruce Jones - Flute. Highly recommended.

Bruce Main returns with his sophomore release, Layers. The music is very much in a similar vein to his debut but with more sounds and styles added including some carnival sounds and a heavier guitar presence in some areas. His music has grown enough to say he’s in league with recent artists such as Guy Manning (British multi-instrumentalist/singer) and Wilton Said (Canadian art rock artist) as well as the classic prog bands Pink Floyd and Camel.
This time around I found the song structures to be tighter and flow better than in his debut. This to me is a sign of a great musician that evolves rather than dwells in common places. Bruce’s music is a very melodic song based progressive rock. If this isn’t your style of prog, please move aside so others may enjoy this wonderful artist’s work.

Layers’ to me is one of the better releases of 2005 and with proper exposure, should be on a few people’s “best of” lists at the end of the year. Please do yourself a favor, buy this and Tracks, you will not regret it, plus you’ll be helping the future of self produced progressive rock artists.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on July 19th, 2005

As a founding member of progressive band Medusa in the 70's, multi-instrumentalist Bruce Main has accumulated a wealth of experience as a musician and sound engineer.  In 1993, Bruce could resist the urge no longer and started composing his first solo album, Tracks, which was released early in 2004.  A little more than a year later sees the release of his follow up, Layers.

The album kicks off with the sounds of intro track Carnival,  followed by Celebrity Circus, which initially at least has a slightly dark and eerie undertone fitting in well with my personal imagery from childhood of fairs, Mops, carnivals (what you call them depends on your locale), further entrenched by such comedies as The League of Gentlemen and their rather dubious character, Papa Lazarou and his Pandemonium Carnival.  The 'sandwich' is completed with a slice of Carnival Too, which is effectively the outro.

Bruce displays a pretty unique vocal sound and although like most vocalists he will have more than his fair share of criticism because there is no pleasing everyone, his emotional voice fits in well with the songs and is in fact quite endearing.  First Second displays that teetering emotional quality well, being a sort of opposite of a love song (if it was a television programme it would have a title like 'When Love Goes Bad').  Great lyrics and very amusing.

Gwendolyn starting as it does with a fanfare sounds as if it about to go into an ELP version of Fanfare For The Common Man but in fact if it can be compared to anything it would likely be that of Jethro Tull circa 70-72.  Great flute from guest musician Bruce Jones.

Mr Main plays everything (keys, drums, guitar plus vocals) on the album except for the aforementioned flute (Bruce Jones) and bass, which is provided by Brian Phraner (Phreeworld, Medusa) who also sings harmony on a couple of tracks.

There is no mistaking the influence of Tull again in places on Father but this time there is a Passion Play flavour.  Penultimate track, Lies, has a strong Floydian hint of Animals (is it Pigs or is it Dogs?) with punctuation of the ultra heavy (Skyclad for example) variety, mixed with Tull in My God mode.  Bruce enlists the vocal assistance of (I am making assumptions here) his children which adds to already dark edge.  This is the longest track of the eight, at just a tad under the 12-minute mark though seems a lot shorter and could easily go on for an hour.  There is a distinctive keyboard sound now and then on Lies that I would associate with ex-Caravan/Camel etc. Dave Sinclair.  Rounding of Layers is the gentle You Don't Know with Bruce accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.

Layers is one of those albums which grows on you the more you listen to it.  It has many textures but like a good horror film or indeed, comedy, it also has a mouth-watering dark side which can be both or either funny or scary (it's a personal thing) - just like life.  Recommended.

Jem Jedrzejewski

Member: Duncan Glenday (Profile) (All Album Reviews by Duncan Glenday)
Date: 10/3/2005
Format: CD (Album)


Style: Singer/songwriter folk rock with with progressive and pop elements

Rating: 31⁄2 / 5

Summary: Well produced and well played, easy listening. A professional singer would add to the listening pleasure..

Bruce Main's second CD opens with a one-minute circus / carnival sound, and Track 2 "Celebrity Circus" features a strong, guitar-led instrumental that picks up that classic circus theme in caricature and gives it a dark, progressive ambience. This alternates with a continuation of the big-top theme, with a ringmaster announcing the acts and calling for the clowns in a modern-day parody of Streisand's "Where are the Clowns". There are obviously shades of Yes's Tormato in the overall theme, and the strongest component of the song is the instrumental interpretation of classic circus themes.

With its strong instrumentation and its lyrics dripping with satire, "Celebrity Circus" sets the tone for the rest of the CD. It is song-oriented with long, pleasing instrumental interludes. The structures flow nicely from section to section - some songs are straightforward verse / chorus / verse structure, while mini-epics "Father", and "Lies", make the clearest nod in the direction of progressive music and between them account for almost 1⁄2 of the CD's playing time. The lyrics all carry a clear purpose and most most make biting observations of social or political issues, although they aren't the most poetic you've ever heard. With lines like I am your father / Come back to me / You can rest here / Under the shade of my trees...; it seems as if prose sometimes gave way to rhyme and rhythm. Add that to Main's scratchy mono-tonal and slightly pitchy vocal delivery and it's clear that the strong points here are the instrumentals. Bruce plays all instruments with the exception of bass (Brian Phraner) and flute (Bruce Jones).

As we mentioned in our review of his debut album Tracks, Bruce Main was a founding member of prog band Medusa in the 1970's and became guitarist and songwriter for The Eddies, and then for a regionally known prog-metal band called Mania. His professional career includes chief engineer with an ownership position in commercial recording studios, and he’s worked on sound systems for an interesting variety of projects. His prowess as a guitarist and his obvious comfort around the studio are more apparent on Layers than they were on Tracks, and his production work is admirable. Main's lead guitar work is pleasing. It is usually reserved for solo spots and instrumentals, and for mid-song accompaniment he often turns to a nicely played acoustic guitar usually held back in the mix. The acoustic and electric guitars blend nicely, and Jones's flute on "Gwendolyn" is particularly pleasing.

Bruce Main's Layers will appeal to fans of laid-back easy-listening prog, or the singer-songwriter genre. For his next record we would urge him to recruit a singer - but don't let that put you off. There are some nice ideas here, and Layers is an interesting listen. And as Bruce said in a private communication - ..."hey, have you ever heard Chocolate Kings by PFM? Or how about Bob Dylan?"

Good point.

 

Bruce Main is a veteran from the American seventies prog outfit Medusa. Subsequently he started a career as sound engineer. But the itch was still there, so in 2004 his first solo album “Tracks” was issued. And now his second just hit the shelves. “Layers” is in his own opinion “a quantum leap forward.” I can’t be the judge of that, since I haven’t heard his preceding record. But in tracks 1 and 3 you can hear this man has a passion for sound recording.

As to the music, “Layers” fails in keeping the interest going. Either Main forgot to build up things to a crucial moment, or he drags on and on. In short: this record never peaks. It all flows very nicely though, and the diverse influences are well used. The guitar in “Celebrity Circus” recalls David Gilmour’s aggressive fretwork in “Empty Spaces”. In fact, the whole theme and atmosphere remind us here of Pink Floyd’s legendary “The Wall”. The historical epos “Gwendolyn” develops in a smooth Camel/Jethro Tull vein, especially when the flute comes in.

On the lyrical front, things show a lot of engagement. In the tradition of the singer-songwriter, Main comments on political and cultural issues. He sharply observes the media (“Celebrity Circus” and “Lies”) and looks at the medieval crusades in the light of recent events (“Gwendolyn”). And there are some (auto)biographical elements as well, like in “Father” and “First Second”. This variety of topics should add up to the quality of the album. Unfortunately, a booklet with lyrics is missing. Another minus is the mediocre singing. What a shame!

Still, this record earns respect. Musically, it does have its moments, and the recording is good enough. And why not buy this CD just for the sake of the artist’s independence, since a healthy sale still enables him to make artistic choices in a free spirit? And that’s something you don’t get much anymore in today’s celebrity circus.

Bruce Main has had an eclectic career to say the least. After dropping out from college he helped form Medusa a commune-based progressive band that were compared, at the time, to Yes and after leaving that particular combo joined The Eddies who focused on American rock in the vein of Bob Segar and Bruce Springsteen. He then helped build a recording studio in Seattle, recorded some solo demos and nearly got signed before starting progressive metal band Mania whose career was curtailed by the arrival of Grunge. On the invitation of one of the bands he had recorded he took a job on the road as front-of-house sound engineer which got him noticed by a sound company owned by Mike Fisher (of Heart fame). As lead engineer he provided tour support for artists such as Nirvana and Jean Luc Ponty before diversifying into the installation of large scale sound systems in sports arenas and the like. Returning to music in 2003, he built his own digital studio, released the album Tracks in 2004.

On his second solo CD, Layers, Main plays all instruments with the exception of bass (played by Brian Phraner who, incidentally was also a member of Main's first band, Medusa) and flute (Bruce Jones). Having not heard Tracks, I don't know how the latest album compares in style or format. What Layers offers is six medium to long compositions, one short number and two sound field recordings (Carnivals one and too) which are largely inconsequential. The music is on the whole, pretty interesting; Main is a competent multi-instrumentalist although it is obvious that his main instrument is the guitar. What is also obvious is that he is no singer! The vocals, largely presented in a half sung/half spoken form, are really an acquired taste. It is not that they are out of tune, just that they have a somewhat nasal quality and lack any real power, sounding rather strained in places. This is a pity, as they do distract from the music. On the longer pieces, particularly Lies, this means that just as one is getting into the instrumental passages, which bear resemblance to Pink Floyd in places, the vocals come along and break the atmosphere. Still, it was interesting to hear the brief 'shouting' sections juxtaposed with the more progressive section, obviously a hand over from the metal days. I also found the recording of the drums, particularly the cymbals to be a bit poor, particularly in the quieter sections.

Celebrity Circus, a song about the current fashion where people regarded as celebrities for the most pathetic of reasons, has a quite dramatic introduction before the vocals kick off. Indeed, throughout the album there are moments of high drama, the keyboard providing atmospherics to support the guitar. First Second has a nice mixture of acoustic and electric guitars and is well arranged; it would be nice to hear as an instrumental. Gwendolyn offers a slight improvement on the vocal front with Main sounding at times a bit like Billy Corgan. The electric guitar/flute section about a third of the way in and reprised after a decent guitar solo with both instruments simultaneously soloing towards the end, make this song one of my favourites on the album. Interesting lyric as well, which seems to contrast the Christian crusades with recent events: "scimitars replaced by planes, reducing our world to fames".

Father, a sentimental paean to his family, is another reasonable effort although this time the lyrics are a bit too mawkish and cliché for me but, I suppose, quite a fitting personal message. The song did tend to drag on a bit and could have easily lost a couple of minutes. Rather than end the album with a long electric song, Main has chosen to close out with just his acoustic guitar on You Don't Know which seems appropriate enough.

No doubt that Main's long experience in the music industry has been of benefit in writing and producing this album. His background has lent the songs those progressive trappings we are fondly familiar with, his guitar playing is a highlight of the album and the arrangements are original and interesting. For me the vocals are the real sticking point, and although not the worst I have heard by far still left me wishing the album had been purely instrumental.

Conclusion: 6 out of 10

MARK HUGHES

I wasn’t familiar with Bruce Main so when I got his debut cd, my expectations weren’t particularly high. I wasn’t sure what kind of music it was but after several spins on my cd player, I can easily agree with part of the influences on his solo debut. His brand of progressive rock falls under what would be called melodic based ala late era of both Pink Floyd & Camel.

This is a self produced recording of 8 songs, most are in the 6 minute range, with the exception of “Night” which clock in at about 17 minutes Where as there’s nothing that stands out, he does have the ability to create some beautiful melodic music that would cater to the afore mentioned bands.

Bruce handles most of the instruments and vocals. He is joined by bassist, Brian Phraner and percussionist Thom Mullins on several tracks. This is a very strong debut and according to Bruce, he’s half way done on his second solo release. Click on the link above (in the information area of this review) to sample his music. If you like what you hear, please support this fine musician and buy a copy or two of Tracks. You won’t regret it!

Member: Duncan Glenday (Profile) (All Album Reviews by Duncan Glenday)
Date: 11/11/2004
Format: CD (Album)

Style: Laid back singer/songwriter folk rock with with progressive and pop elements

Rating: 23⁄4 / 5

Summary: An admirable debut album from a veteran musician

You have to admire one-man outfits. These artists have far more courage than most of us – they write the songs, play the instruments, sing their own lyrics, recruit assistance where needed, mix and engineer everything, compile their cover art, and sometimes even burn the CDs themselves. Today’s technology allows artistic entrepreneurs like singer/songwriters Bruce Main to bring their music to the public – but for all the tools in the world, these projects are truly a labor of love and you have to admire their talent and – even more – their tenacity and courage.

Main was a founding member of prog band Medusa in the 1970's. He became guitarist and songwriter for The Eddies, and then for regionally known prog-metal band Mania. His professional career includes chief engineer with an ownership position in commercial recording studios, and he’s worked on sound systems for an interesting variety of projects. And his comfort in the world of music and sound engineering is evident in Tracks, his debut solo album.

The best moments on this CD are the instrumental sections, particularly on the 17-minute epic “Night” which features a rich mix of instruments and a tantric ebb and flow of soft and harder-edged sounds, straight-ahead rock and new-agey samples, acoustic and electric. It is in that track that you’ll hear the progressive elements, while the rest of the songs are more linear rock with a folksy touch. Aside from the occasional interesting new-age touches in the percussion and one of those love-em-or-hate-em washerboards on “Home”, the instrumentation is essentially the standard rock set with some nice Hammond sounds and ambient keyboards providing backdrops to the lead, acoustic and bass guitars.

The lead guitar work is rather nice, sometimes played in the form of standard lead solos, sometimes elegant extended pieces that are held way back in the mix, as an accompaniment to the sometimes dark, deep and deliberate bass and percussion section. Main’s singing may take a while to settle on you. It is a mid-range limited-range mellow delivery that sounds somewhat tentative in places. The liner notes do not include lyrics, but the prose sound straightforward and positive and perhaps a bit esoteric.

Let’s face it – solo artists deserve plaudits for their hard work, dedication, and for the courage it takes to subject their deeply personal projects to public scrutiny. They deserve all the support they can get.