Album review: DBA – Celestial Songs

September 1st, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red Records [Release date : 08.09.23]

Right from the Downes Braide Association’s (DBA) first album (this is their fifth), the duo sounded like they’d been round the block a few times. Like they’d done things we couldn’t, seen things we hadn’t, knew things we didn’t.

All true of course, Englishman Chris Braide is a grammy award winning, formerly US based songwriter, but now resident in the UK, having written and produced material for headline artists like Beyonce, Sia, Lana Del Ray. While fellow Englishman, Geoff Downes is a key member of Progressive Rock bands, Yes and Asia.

And now, like then, into their unique brand of adult progressive pop they mix memorable melodies, (‘Keep On Moving’, ‘On The Run’), a sense of yearning (‘Look What You Do’, ‘Heart Shaped Hole’), and sweet, lyrical music, often with quasi religious undertones (‘Clear Light’, ‘Will To Power’), occasionally sharing some sobering observations on life and the world around us (‘Darker Side Of Fame’, ‘Hey Kid’).

Each and every song is dressed in evocative, sophisticated arrangements. And each has an hypnotic quality. And that applies most especially to the album’s standouts. In the review of their last album, we mentioned that the ‘Today’ track was “distinctly McCartney-esque”.

Here’s another. Braide gets under the skin of McCartney’s melodic sensibilities on ‘Goodbye To You’. The emphasis is on simplicity. It takes a lot of skill and talent to make it sound this simple. Again, with the right push at the right time this one could be a chart contender.

The magnificent, ten minute operetta, ‘Beyond The Stars’ closes the album like it knows it’s the jewel in a pretty impressive crown, full of sweetly seductive hooks and hazy sonic colouring. Lyrically leaning back into one of those introspective contemplations that Jim Webb was famous for.

For sure, DBA are a class act. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)