Album Review: Nick Fletcher - The Cloud Of Unknowing.
Nick Fletcher
The Cloud Of Unknowing
9/10
By Paul Davies
There are many musical thought bubbles translated into musical action from Nick Fletcher’s imagination to his fingers on this companion recording to 2021’s Cycles Of Behaviour; an album itself replete with the signature sounds of a unique artist of note. The Cloud Of Unknowing contains a similar high calibre of musical flights of fancy with a lurking intellectual thematic twist connecting the songs and a detour of contrasting stylings occurring throughout. The rich blend of classical guitar-led passages and intense, melodic jazz fusion fluency feeds the head as Nick’s precision delivery takes the listener on a sonic adventure.
A super-heated intensely played combination of notes on Out Of The Maelstrom cracks open this demanding yet rewarding album of nine movements of music. This titanic concoction of searing note play is as astonishing an opening to an album as one could wish for. Then the contrast arrives, as The Eyes Of Persephone is all tumbling silky notation floating on a bed of beautifully constructed romantic rhythms as jazz overrides rock in a tussle for musical stylings supremacy. After such cerebral and emotional exercises, the Scenes From The Subconscious Mind suite reveals an immense scale of five suites of skilful musicianship from Pandemonium’s headlong race of riffs interspersed with serene passages of compositional acuity. Stuart Barbour delivers vocals as an interpretative foil to Fletcher’s arrows of soaring lead guitar on Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the album’s title track that morph into a progressive landscape of harmonic elegance. Both Awakening The Hydra and Dance Of The Hydra sonically invoke the Greek water monster to life in these songs. To soothe the ears, Nick flexes his classical guitar chops - of which he plays many live recitals - on Arcadia before Barbour returns to sing on The Paradox part 1. Here Bainbridge lays down sublime synth with Fletcher’s roaming tonal guitar playing out a technically superb and entrancing collection of inspired music that ups the ante for the next one to follow.
A special mention must be made to the group of musicians assisting Fletcher’s musical visions as Iona/Strawbs/Lifesigns’ Dave Bainbridge brings his Hammond organ, piano, and synth skill set to three of the tracks. Russ Wilson’s excellent stick work and Tim Harries’ bass and fretless bass lay the ground for Fletcher to race around like a muscle guitar of power and elegance. However, extra special props go to Caroline Bonnett who is completely on it - not only with keyboard, sequencers, and BVs - she also recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced this exquisite enigma of compelling music.
