Legs On Wheels - Gobble

 

I loved Legs On Wheels 2023 debut album L E G R O O M (Review here) and the follow up here is absolutely magnificent. The Manchester quartet are in peak power mode. Essentially melodic Prog with some wonderful changes of direction, but also much more.

There are journeys into Pop Rock, Art Rock, Psych Pop and much more. My constant banging on about Prog being a myriad of things, not just something to sniff at. If you pick the right band who want to write songs, not just show how well they can play their instruments, there is satisfaction guaranteed.

Gobble is an absolute masterpiece. It can remind you of other bands, but also be incredibly original and inventive. I marvel at the Angular, but when it is done here, it breaks into something massive sounding. Oysters On The Half Shelf sets the scene and even has a David Byrne like vocal.

The Prog excellence is throughout, but most so on the closer, Masteroid, which mixes Jazz Rock and Pop Rock with Proper Prog. yet A P E S develops into something near to Psych Pop and Glam Rock. Winner Winner could even be Intelligent Indie.

Peekaboo is a fantastic Pop song, even sounding a little Gabriel. Then there is the exact opposite with the intro Noise Rock of Dinnertime For Rat that becomes an ace slab of Angular Rock. But it is the Prog that engages me most.

Never repetitive, equally at home with old school or setting their own path. The Time Signature changes surprise you as much as the instrumentation. This is 45 minutes that will change your musical perceptions if you just let it.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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Legs on Wheels - L E G R O O M

 

Manchester isn't a hotbed of Prog, so its refreshing to have something fairly nearby. I get the chance to get out my alter ego and put on a mask that has never heard any Indie Guitar Pop. I think many of you know that my life away from IDHAS involves listening to a fair bit Of Progressive Rock.

This is proper Prog, not your Billy Sherwood dominated kitchen sink stuff that is really AOR for people who can play their instruments. I like it so much that I'm gonna give Sid Smith a shout, who probably knows about it already. 

Like all good Prog, it steps into many directions. Psych, Jazz, Pop Rock, Space Rock and even a venture into Punk. Heaven's Gate is multi directional, about ten songs in one without ever losing the plot and The Big Squeeze gets close to Gabriel era Genesis at times, but far more weird and wonderful.

Marco Polo Goes To Movies even starts all Pearl And Dean Brass and is very Soft Machine, whilst Easy Prey gets pretty close to 70s King Crimson. That leaves the big closer, Arnold The Slime King which is as near Pop Rock as Legs On Wheels get.

It is the only time they get close to the more modern prog of say Big Big Train, it even gets choral and a little Steve Marriott at times. Five songs in 47 minutes, just as we like it, without ever being over played. An album to be listened to in its entirety that underlines the sheer wonder of Prog.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find a little more about Legs On Wheels here. The album is available on CD and as a download, but there is a Kickstarter here for a vinyl release here.

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