John Mitchell’s involvement with such British progressive-rock bands as Arena, It Bites and Frost make the singer and multi-instrumentalist a household name among progheads. In 2015, Mitchell adopted the moniker Lonely Robot and over a four-year period released three space-themed albums now affectionately known as “The Astronaut Trilogy.”
Feelings Are Good brings Lonely Robot back down to Earth and is a considerable departure from its predecessors. Alternately lush and manic, plus misleadingly upbeat and deeply personal, the album is wrapped in arresting artwork that depicts Mitchell with tape over his eyes and mouth. But the man is far from silent on Feelings Are Good, which opens with the modulated acapella title track and features Mitchell on vocals and everything else but drums. His singing sounds like a cross between two former Genesis vocalists—Peter Gabriel and Ray Wilson—and the lead-off single, “Life Is A Sine Wave,” bounces along on perky keyboards while showcasing Mitchell’s soaring guitar prowess. The music almost conceals the song’s grim yet ultimately hopeful message: “We used to have a soul/We used to care a lot/And you could be forgiven/For trying to forget.” Sounds like 2020 has a new progressive-rock anthem.
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