Review: The Gardening Club – Bridge of Spirits

Style: Progressive Rock, Folk, Jazz Fusion (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Simon & Garfunkel, Iamthemorning
Review by: Doug
Country: Canada
Release date: 20 August, 2022

We may be “only” two thirds of the way through the year 2022, but I feel confident in staking my claim that Bridge of Spirits will remain the most unique release I’ve had the pleasure of hearing this year. The product of a musical collective of sorts, united by composer and multi-instrumentalist Martin Springett, Bridge of Spirits combines some new compositions with others previously released across multiple EPs in 2021 – but we here at The Progressive Subway haven’t reviewed any of it yet, so it’s all fair game. Incorporating a wealth of different folk and jazz influences and covering numerous topics abstract and fantastical alike, The Gardening Club surely provide an unforgettable experience, whether you like it or not.

Bridge of Spirits opens beautifully with “Forever Leaving Home.” Springett’s composition unveils a stunning soundscape of acoustic guitars, percussion, and layered vocals – a soundscape that completely captured my attention the first time I heard it (and every time since). Every element of the music is exquisite and masterfully woven together. The acoustic folk style remains in effect for the next couple of songs – the shorter, more energetic “The Sister of Theft” as well as the melancholy “Woman In the Waves” – but even those two songs fall short of the near-perfection of the opener, and shortly thereafter the album begins a hard swerve toward other more bizarre sounds.

After a short atmospheric interlude with “Finding Home,” we get “Rare Birds,” which begins to demonstrate that The Gardening Club may have an unsustainable number and variety of influences. Although the more acoustic and folk-inspired sound will return once more for the instrumental “A Dance to the Music of Time,” “Rare Birds” takes on a silly tone that I’m not sure I can adequately describe – a bit of modern jazz, a bit of soft folk rock à la Simon & Garfunkel, and a bit more that I just can’t place. To be frank, this style lacks the depth and gravitas of the earlier songs, and the wilder and more lighthearted tone doesn’t provide much that can fill the void. The album closer “Strange Kingdom” salvages the sound well enough by further embracing the jazz influences and adding a Latin groove, but between “Rare Birds” and “The Gift,” the only part worth a listen is the soprano sax solo toward the end of the latter.

Of course, The Gardening Club are not done showing off their range. For one last trick, they dust off the wind instruments and dive into the title track, a medieval-sounding modern chamber music composition featuring a smorgasbord of instruments acoustic and electric alike. I still find myself wishing for the power and complexity of “Forever Leaving Home,” but the neoclassical angle is enjoyable as well. Rather than the emotion-evoking and attention-grabbing atmosphere of the first few songs, the title track and the behemoth follow-up “The Owl (long form)” demonstrate the group’s extremely varied talents in both writing and performance, bringing together a myriad of styles that, even if the listener doesn’t always like how they sound, are highly unique and memorable in their combination. “The Owl (long form)” in particular, throughout its seventeen-minute runtime, never stops innovating and moving from one presentation to the next; no matter how you feel about any given moment, you’ll have something new to hear before very long.

The Gardening Club refuse to be confined by expectations. Bridge of Spirits is, in more ways than one, effectively several different albums all at once, each of them unique and innovative. While this leaves the album feeling unfocused and limits the airtime given to the parts I like best, being able to bring so many disparate influences together shows a lot of musical talent and flexibility, and for prog fans that novelty itself can be a reason to listen. So while I can’t promise how you will feel about each component on its own, I do recommend at least one listen just to hear the magic come together.

Recommended tracks: Forever Leaving Home, The Sister of Theft, A Dance to the Music of Time, The Owl (long form)
You may also like: Evan Carson, Meer, Keor
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook
Label: Independent

The Gardening Club is:
– Kevin Laliberte (guitars, bass)
– Norm MacPherson (guitars, mandolin, bassoon)
– Dave Wilkie (vocals)
– Denise Withnell (vocals)
– Drew Birston (bass)
– Martin Springett (guitars, bass, vocals)
– Sari Alesh (violin)
– Wayne Kozak (soprano saxophone)