Hebridean proggers Million Moons turn their attention to conservation and the innermost thoughts of animals for third album, You Be Good, I Love You.  It’s a concept album, and an ambitious one, too.

AN ALBUM WITH A TALE TO TELL

Originally from the Hebridean island of Mull and now based in London, Million Moons are: Edward Thompson (piano, guitar), Solomon Radley (drums), Freddie Locock-Harrison (guitar) and Jay Miller (bass).  You Be Good, I Love You is the band’s third album and it follows their acclaimed 2024 offering, I May Be Some Time.

I May Be Some Time was a concept album – it told the tale of Captain Lawrence Oats and his fated Terra Nova Antarctic expedition – and You Be Good, I Love You is another album-with-a-tale-to-tell.  This time around, the theme is the natural world, with a focus upon conservation and the innermost thoughts of animals, forced to react to the impacts that human activity continually has upon their environments.

Guitarist, pianist and composer Edward explains further: “For this record, we chose a subject that’s very close to my heart as, outside of the band, I work in marine conservation.  The world is full of so many amazing creatures and it’s truly sad what has happened to their habitats as a result of human activity.”  Drummer Solomon continues: “We wanted to tackle this topic in a way that doesn’t chastise or tell anyone off.  Part of the problem is that urbanisation has separated many of us from the world’s natural beauty.  Our goal is to help people reconnect with it through mindful reflection.”

DREAMY. CAPTIVATING. SCARILY HEAVY

And that mindful reflection is inspired by eight instrumental pieces that are, by turns, elegiac, majestically powerful and classically prog.  Oh – and if you’re wondering about the album’s title, it’s a reference to the poignant last words of Alex, an African grey parrot who was studied intensively by scientists and who learnt to communicate with his handlers.

And, whilst we’re on the subject of title derivation, Titan Of The Deep, the album’s opening track is a reference to a ‘colossal squid’ that inhabits the nether regions of one or other of our oceans.  The image of the creature is clearly conveyed in the surge of sound that opens the album.  Listeners should close their eyes and let the imagery work its magic.

A tearful contemplation of the passing of a much-loved pet, Last Days Together is as mournfully melodic as its theme suggests.  Solomon beats out a solid rhythm as keyboards writhe and swirl and Edward and Freddie pick out the melodies.  It’s dreamy and captivating and, at times, scarily heavy.

A BEAUTIFUL SPECTACLE

Thoughts are turned to a murmuration of starlings for Black Sun Rising and, sure enough, the air is filled with dense sound.  At the heart of the sound sits a guitar that sends out a soaring motif, as drums thunder and keyboards buzz like a swarm of perturbed insects.

Million Moons’ next destination is Africa, to witness the Great Nile Migration – the immense seasonal movement of millions of antelopes as they follow their instincts in search of the water that will sustain them.  The migration is portrayed dramatically, with Solomon pounding out a galloping drumbeat.  Jay’s thunderous bass adds extra power to the wave of movement and the beauty of the spectacle is captured in the interaction between guitars and keyboards.

The epic Secret Histories is, to some extent, the album’s centrepiece, yet it’s also the only one of the eight tracks that stands alone – as a stark reflection on living in denial about what’s happening to this planet.  Jay’s clangy bass leads the charge as the sound builds and Solomon’s drums replicate machine gun fire.  The mood calms intermittently but the thematic point is put across most effectively by the cacophonous waves of sound that interrupt the melodic interludes.

FAMILIAR TERRITORY

Pastoral and tuneful – in a grand kind of way – Memories Of A Past Life is summarized as: “…shapeshifting instruments, reminiscent of metamorphosis.”  A sharp, scattered drumbeat and a rich, resonant bassline provide the foundations as guitars and keyboards explore their melodic potential.  It’s a piece that will offer familiar territory to long-term prog fans, particularly as the tune reaches its thunderous conclusion.

Whale song provides the inspiration for the excellent Echoes In The Abyss – an album highlight.  Sweetly tuneful, quasi-orchestral or a grand musical statement – they’re all descriptions that apply.  Drummer Soloman is the busiest chap in the band as he constructs the solid framework onto which a variety of instruments – including a church organ – take their place.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

Million Moons bring their musical insights of the natural world to a flamboyant close with Floating For Eternity, a tune that follows the movement of jellyfish as they drift on the ocean’s tides.  There’s sadness in Soloman’s military-styled drumbeat, which seems to suggest that something has been lost that will never be recovered.  Piano and guitar combine to represent the endless drift of the floating coelenterate, and the sound rises and falls, just like the ocean swell.

“Writing parts for this album has been a real experience,” says guitarist Freddie.  “We’ve drawn on such a broad range of influences – from shoegaze to prog to modern metal – it’s really pushed the envelope of our sound.  I can’t wait to incorporate this music into our live show.”

Watch the official video to Black Sun Rising – a track from the album – below:

Million Moons: Bandcamp

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