Ok, so I never heard of Tim Meskers before. So, a "know all" music site tells me that he might be known to discerning music fans from a band called Brown Recluse. Never heard either. Am I to old, to unknowledgeable, or simply not too hip ? Well, it really makes no difference, judging by this new project, I will not forget who Meskers is.
Dark Harvest is a group album by Garden Gate, a combination of former, current, and hopefully future Meskers cohorts, but it seems pretty much that he is the one fully controlling the proceedings. If you are already a "discerning music fan" and know Meskers from before, you are probably playing this one right now. But, if you're a little bit less discerning, and are only familiar with modern psychedelia names like Temples and the Dutch marvel Jacco Gardner, then you should definitely be all over this one. Actually if you are a fan of any psychedelia, particularly of the Sixties form, this one should not be missed.
From the moment the album starts with the aptly named "Spiral Staircase", you get that overwhelming sense of, oh so familiar, but like a kaleidoscope, re-arranged and producing something new as yo go along. Everything gets thrown in, from early Pink Floyd, Left Banke, and as many you can sense. By the time you get to "Ten of Swords" you get even a good sense of the Procol Harum's taste for classical music. But, whatever Meskers has picked along the way as his musical influences is neither overstated or obvious, the music has a general easy flow and all these "old" influences are covered with a very thin glaze of modern electronics, that are just part of the tetxure and don't overpower the music. In essence one of the song titles, as well as its music give it all away: "Lunar Baroque".
The title song ends the album and just confirms that it might be a "Dark Harvest", but it is surely a very rich one.
