Emerald City Council formed during a recording session in 2021 from an idea of US artist Brent Bristow. The band’s lineup includes world-class artists from the Prog scene, and after a few years, it was not until 2024 that they released their debut album. Titled “Motion Carries,” it was released on January 19, 2024 via Melodic Revolution Records and contains 9 tracks including an epic suite of over 20 minutes in length. The album has a common thread linking the tracks, and opens with “Realize I – Escape from the Ancient,” the first of three parts. Atmospheric sonorities and a narrated vocal open the track and the album, and then evolve into a granitic and elaborate piece of Progressive Rock with modern and markedly personal traits. Through a prolonged instrumental section, the band enhances the compositional and performing technique of the artists involved, as well as exploiting the arsenal of instruments and sounds at their disposal. There is no better introduction for an album, but especially for a debut. The vocal narration links the first with the second part “Realize II – Brutal Camouflage,” which opens with the first sung stanzas of the album. A warm and expressive vocal fits over positive guitar melodies, then evolves into a solid and elaborate Progressive Rock with more melodic traits. A pleasant and delicate track, which in the second part offers an interesting instrumental section with choral solo interventions, before returning to the vocals for the last verses and concluding. “Noisy Talking” opens with an energetic rhythm section and fine horn work that then gives way to the sung verses. An elaborate and solid passage that combines Rock, Prog between melodic passages and heavier altgri with good guitar work and a killer bassline.the band manages to find the right union point between the power of Rock and the more involving composition of more elaborate Pop. In the second half there is also room for two shorts, virtuoso guitar solos. Melancholic atmospheres permeate the notes of the intro to “Mortal Game,” a fine interweaving of winds that culminates with the entrance of the warm and expressive vocals. A track with a more melodic imprinting in the first part, enhancing both the vocals and the songwriting, and then in the second part giving way to an instrumental section. The guitar is the protagonist of a solo insert and leads a choral melody that features the whole band. It returns to pop prog sounds in the finale with an alternation of vocal and instrumental parts, and the track ends. An interesting blend of Progressive sounds and melodic refrains characterises “Ice Thinning.” Another good track that succeeds in finding the right union point between the two genres, with wind-guitar-keyboard solo inserts, intense and expressive vocal parts characterised by melodic and engaging refrains. We come to the epic suite “Platforms of Illusion,” a track that exceeds 20 minutes in length and explores the band’s more progressive side. The long duration is used in its entirety to evolve the central theme by interweaving intense and dynamic vocal parts with sophisticated instrumental sections that enhance all the instruments. A complex track, full of tempo changes and beautifully crafted instrumental textures that enhance the band’s compositional technique. Tracks like these show how the Progressive movement still has its exponents in 2025 with a desire to create something original, a very polished and technical track. After the previous epic track, “Diversion 1” is instead the shortest at 3 minutes long. The track opens with woodwind melodies and a solid rhythm section, continuing into an instrumental section that combines Prog and Folk sounds that takes us through to the finale with the woodwinds taking center stage. More melodic and retro sounds characterize “No Thanks to You” recalling late 1970s artists such as Supertramp. Following that musical imprinting the epzzo is a solid song that combines Pop Prog between modern and retro sounds that have the band’s personal style as a meeting point. Winds and guitar duet in an intense instrumental sezioen in the second half. The vocals return for the last verses and the piece closes. The album ends with the third part of the opening suite “Realize III – The Comfort of Suffering,” evolving to Pop Prog sounds the theme of the piece. Rich synth textures characterize the melodies in the first part, and then develop an alternrsi of vocal and stgrumental parts that gently accompany us to the end of this bon album. A band that shows a mature and original sound, managing to mix Pop and Progressive Rock, inserting the most engaging and sought-after elements of both genres. A lineup of artistsdi absolute level, whose technique is enhanced by the interweaving of intense vocal and instrumental parts that characterize their sound. A recommended listen for all lovers of the more melodic sounds of Prog with forays into Pop and an epic suite of over 20 minutes of fine workmanship.
Tracklist
01. Realize I – Escape from the Ancient (4:56)
02. Realize II – Brutal Camouflage (4:59)
03. Noisy Talking (4:46)
04. Mortal Game (6:16)
05. Ice Thinning (5:22)
06. Platforms of Illusion (20:35) :
– i. Connection
– ii. Best Life
– iii. Comments
– iv. Identity
– v. Revelation
– vi. Best Life (reprise)
07. Diversion 1 (3:00)
08. No Thanks to You (4:32)
09. Realize III – The Comfort of Suffering (6:15)
Lineup
Jake Livgren / Lead and Backing Vocals, Keyboard
Noah Hungate / Drums
Jeremy Nichols / Bass
Seth Hankerson / Guitar
Brent Bristow / Saxophones, Keyboards, Recorder, Guitar, Vocals
Guest performances:
Brandon Goff / Lead Guitar on tracks 1 and 4
Paul Bielatowicz / Guitar solos on track 3
Jeffrey Combs / Narration on track 1 and acoustic guitar on track 7
Steve Rankin / Acoustic Guitar, Guitar Solo and Mandolin on track 7
Mike Thompson / Guitar solo on track 8
Additional musicians:
Phillip Moore / Acoustic Guitar on track 2
Heather Bristow / Additional Vocals on tracks 2 and 4
Douglas Case / Additional Guitar and backing vocals on track 3
Calvin Barnes / Acoustic Guitar on tracks 6 and 9
