Karda Estra's the Age of Science and Enlightenment

A haunting, unmistakably English vibe pervades the rich musical atmosphere of Karda Estra - the "nom-de-bande" of British musician/composer Richard Wileman. His 2006 release, The Age of Science and Enlightenment, shares a mood and sonic countryside with Genesis' melancholic mid-70s album, Wind and Wuthering.

Wileman's compositions and arrangements support the structure of a small chamber group as supposed to a rock band. He plays everything on the album (guitars, keyboards, percussion) with the exception of violin and woodwinds which are supplied by a trio of session musicians.

While there is occasional electric guitar and synthwork, the album emphasizes a natural pastoral sound with a dark, almost surrealistic, undercurrent. It's the perfect palette for the layered compositions typical of Karda Estra. Thankfully, there's no Your Own Special Way to ruin the mood.

The simple ride-cymbal pattern of Am I Dreaming You? Are You Dreaming Me? effectively supports the feel of the piece and is typical of the elegant use of percussion by Wileman. In many cases, the music is also propelled by rhythmic arpeggios on either piano or classical guitar.

At times, the 3-part suite, The Return of John Deth, reminded me of some strange blend of Brian Wilson's symphonic pop and Thinking Plague's chamber-RIO served over a plate of al-dente Morricone. Excuse the cheesy metaphor, but this is some high-quality music that deserves the name-dropping.

Karda Estra remains one of the top independent acts in the massive realm of underground prog - comfortably placing above "Sturgeon's Line" which denotes the 10% of any genre that's worth checking out. And you should be checking out The Age of Science and Enlightenment if quality symphonic prog is your thing.