The Gift - Seven Seasons

The Gift – Seven Seasons

Independent / Bandcamp

In August 2014, Mike Morton—frontman and lead singer of The Gift—organized the Resonance Festival at The Bedford in London. It holds a special place in my heart, as it’s where I met my now-wife, Tracy. Of course, The Gift performed as well, proving to be a lovely prog band. I even managed to bring them over to perform on stage in Holland later on, so yes, I definitely have a personal connection here!

Over the years, The Gift has gone through a fair number of personnel changes, with Mike Morton remaining the constant driving force. At the moment (because with band lineups, you never know!), the band consists of singer Mike Morton, Cristiano Tortoioli on guitar, Chris Taylor on drums, Keith Buckman on bass, and Eliot Minn on keyboards. The latter two are also members of The Far Meadow.

Now, The Gift is back with a new album: Seven Seasons, featuring all-original material written by the band.

To put it simply, it’s a lovely album. It is somewhat less 'prog' than what The Gift is typically known for, offering shorter songs, strong melodies, and musicians who truly master their craft. I particularly enjoy the drum work by Chris Taylor.

While Mike Morton may not claim to be the greatest singer on earth, he delivers a  strong performance here. He is a trained actor, and that dramatic expression really shines through in his vocals.

Mike has always maintained a close connection with the Hackett brothers, and that shows here. Steve Hackett delivers a fantastic solo on the strong instrumental opener, "Overture." On that same track, Jon Poole (Lifesigns, Cardiacs) plays bass—as he also does on "Baby Blue Eyes"—while John Hackett contributes alto flute to "Evensong," a beautiful track where Eliot Minn excels on piano. You can also hear Stephen Clee on acoustic guitar during "Overture."

I honestly don't mind that this record is a bit less heavy on the prog than their previous releases. The songs are just plain good: sometimes proggy, sometimes poppy, and sometimes they simply rock. My personal highlights? "Overture," "Baby Blue Eyes," and "Evensong."

Seven Seasons is a well-crafted album packed with great songwriting and brilliant musicianship. I really love it!