Jon Anderson – 1000 Hands (Blue Élan Records)

The new album of the legendary prog rock vocalist is such a surprise for the ears of a traditional rock fan. Particularly, the album is progressive for Jon as an artist since he decided to follow a semi rock path where the compositions vary from classic rock tunes to ethnic/world music explorations. I would say that the ethnic influences are more obvious than ever. Violins and other “world” instruments along with ethnic electronics or even reggae orchestrations, create an unusual musical image. What remains the same during the whole album, is the multi-layered voice of Jon. From the moody vocals of the first track to the uptempo and bright vocal lines of the rest of the album, the beautiful voice keeps you focused and pleased. From my perspective, Jon’s voice is the unique selling point of every album that he participates as a singer. Jon goes really progressive with this release, in terms of musicality and readiness to explore his horizons…

Information: https://www.blueelanrecords.com