Maxi Curnow, a singer songwriter from Guildford, draws from a range of influences including Frank Sinatra, Jeff Buckley, and Justin Timberlake. Alongside being a firefighter, and a previous member of the alternative rock band Silhouettes, he released debut album Transition earlier this month. The album consists of atmospheric, cinematic soundscapes with a progressive rock twist. Admittedly the combination doesn’t always work but when it does, it’s magical.
It opens up with recent single ‘If We Make It’, with some dreamy guitar parts and some beautiful vocals. During the soaring chorus, there are moments that are reminiscent of Tool and the orchestra gives the track some life. The complex guitar patterns in ‘If Only’ however don’t work well and make the track sound disjointed, but ‘The Author’ is mixed beautifully with some lush textures. All the instruments are well balanced and the guitar work is impressive. It additionally shows off Curnows’ soothing vocals.
‘Viaduct’ contains some smooth drumming, while the funk-influenced guitar licks bring it together. Although the vocals sit underneath the instruments in the mix, the harmonies work nicely with the progressive bassline. Curnows’ voice is relaxing and soulful. In parts of the album, they are remarkably similar to Justin Timberlake, blending in perfectly on the title track..
‘The Mist’ is an instrumental containing heavy guitars. This brings a fresh approach to the track, along with the repetitive synthesizer, which meanders in the background. The overlapping melodic guitars send the listener in a dreamy haze.
However there are points on the album where it seems to plod along and become unmemorable. An example is ‘Shape of You’. Despite a brass section during the solo, the track doesn’t go anywhere and seems to fade in the background. ‘Sink or Swim’ redeems the album with some refreshing production on the drums. Both the sad-sounding violin and the minor key guitar solo reflect the emotional tone of the track. Curnow’s vocal delivery is both passionate and strong. ‘If I Ever’ is a well-crafted piece of songwriting. It’s beautiful and the vocal delivery is executed perfectly. There is a strong progressive rock influence slightly reminiscent of Porcupine Tree.
‘Hand in Hand’ is the album’s closer. It is a blissful track, the strong electronic percussion and the smooth brass section offering something different, but it brings a relaxing vibe to finish things off.
Although ‘Transition’ has a few patchy moments, it is a fine collection of some otherwise brilliant tracks, and will appeal to fans of Karnivool and progressive rock.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos