Terraformer
Terraformer is easy to admire and harder to take in all at once. Thank You Scientist fill the record with guitar, violin, brass and a rhythm section capable of moving between jazz and heavier rock. The songs are detailed, colourful and often surprisingly catchy. The challenge is their size: a long album becomes even more demanding when almost every passage has something new to follow.
FXMLDR shows why that ambition can work. The instrumental parts keep changing around a strong chorus, with saxophone giving the arrangement a particularly clear voice. Salvatore Marrano's high singing adds another melodic line without making the busy background disappear. There is a lot happening, but the song still has a centre that listeners can return to.
Swarm gives the guitar a heavier role. Tom Monda's detailed playing meets the brass on equal terms, while the drums keep the track moving with force. Son of a Serpent takes a broader route, letting the band develop its different ideas over a longer stretch. These pieces work because the musicians sound interested in the whole arrangement, rather than simply taking turns to impress.
Birdwatching offers a quieter break, giving the voice and lighter instrumental setting more room. The return to a faster pace on Everyday Ghosts then has more impact. Chromology removes the lead vocal altogether and allows the instrumental partnership to become the focus. The violin and brass add colours that make the band's sound immediately recognisable.
There are limits to that approach. Everyday Ghosts stretches its guitar feature beyond the most effective length, and Chromology could make its point with less material. Marrano's voice also stays in a similar range of expression across a very large record. The surrounding music keeps changing, but the singing does not always offer the same variety. A tighter sequence would make the strongest moments stand out more clearly.
Even so, Terraformer has a lot of character. The combination of memorable melody and adventurous playing gives the detail a reason to be there, and several songs reward the attention they demand. It is an impressive progressive rock album whose scale sometimes works against its strengths. For listeners happy to explore it in parts, there is plenty here worth returning to.
