29th March 2012 06:00:00
It Bites - Map Of The Past
The second outing of the reformed John Mitchell-fronted It Bites sees them blending prog and pop in a tasty cocktail of melody and musicianship. Map Of The Past, the band's first concept album (proper prog!) shows strong leanings towards the 80s prog scene they emerged from, but the emphasis being very much on writing catchy, memorable songs that get stuck in the brain for weeks on end. From the biting riff of 'Wallflower', to the grandiose, tongue-in-cheek 'Send No Flowers', the band easily slides between moods and genres without missing a beat.
It must be said, some of the musical detours are more successful than others: the dreary ballad of 'Clocks' is a bland slice of lovesick nonsense, and the repetitious nature of 'Flag' begins to grate badly after four minutes. But on the whole, Map Of The Past is something of a triumph for the new It Bites, and should prove a hit with prog fans new and old, even if the stigma means it (slightly unfairly) fails to make much of an impact in more populist circles. Dunnery who?
Prog Rock
Same Difference - Pop
It must be said, some of the musical detours are more successful than others: the dreary ballad of 'Clocks' is a bland slice of lovesick nonsense, and the repetitious nature of 'Flag' begins to grate badly after four minutes. But on the whole, Map Of The Past is something of a triumph for the new It Bites, and should prove a hit with prog fans new and old, even if the stigma means it (slightly unfairly) fails to make much of an impact in more populist circles. Dunnery who?
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About Dominic Hemy
The team's resident oddball (he takes offence to the term "village idiot", favouring "geek"), Dominic has a healthy love of the weird and wonderful end of the musical spectrum - and an intense dislike of copycats. Dabbles in psychedelic and folk musics for relaxing times, but prefers it loud, strange, and preferably with an average song length in the twenties.
The team's resident oddball (he takes offence to the term "village idiot", favouring "geek"), Dominic has a healthy love of the weird and wonderful end of the musical spectrum - and an intense dislike of copycats. Dabbles in psychedelic and folk musics for relaxing times, but prefers it loud, strange, and preferably with an average song length in the twenties.
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