When I am recommended an album by my very good friend Thomas Szirmay, I am obliged to sit up and take notice. Not because of any contractual arrangement, but simply because his tastes are impeccable and happen to align with mine in an almost brotherly manner.

So, Thomas emailed me a couple of weeks back. I had seen a review of this album on another website, but it fell under my radar until receipt of said email. A visit to Bandcamp, and off we jolly well went.

Before discussing Days of Innocence, a word about the truly wonderful cover, featuring a young boy sat astride a giant tortoise pointing the way forward. This reminds me very much of the type of dreams (night and waking in the daytime) I used to have as a young boy, in my own days of innocence, flying and going anywhere my mind chose to take me. If there is a better cover describing an album title, I would like to see it.

Stuckfish are Phil Stuckey on vocals, Adrian Fisher who is the guitarist and composer/producer (these two formed the genesis of the band), Gary Holland on keyboards, Phil Morey on bass, and Adam Sayers on drums. This, their third album, is my introduction to the band.

Age of Renewal starts proceedings. It is bright and breezy, with Holland’s keyboards especially prominent at the opening passage. I like Stuckey’s vocals a great deal, and the lyrics, as with so much else in 2022, talk to me of the Covid period, with the opportunity to renew, starting to unwind, free from previous thoughts, with your destiny changed. From a personal perspective, this has been the case strongly with previous years of campaigning for remote working becoming a reality overturning departmental conservatism and sheer obstinacy. As ever, I adapt lyrics to the personal sense, and for this reason the song speaks very well to me. There is a fantastic guitar solo by Fisher as we approach the six-minute mark and to the denouement the track expands in a melodic rock burst which is extremely pleasing. A tremendous start.

The title track follows, and the staccato guitar chords revolving between your ears at the start, before a wonderfully deep bassline enters your consciousness, is good. That bass is especially powerful throughout the track. The lyrics look back to those days of innocence, but also look forward, with no going back, and with no regret, and this is again something which speaks strongly to me, especially with progressive rock in the 21st century, which is as alive and as vital as it was over 50 years ago. There are, indeed, still infinite possibilities if we take our chances. There are some delicate female vocals behind the lead, and as we approach the final minute, we are treated to some fine brass, very reminiscent of Big Big Train in similar moments.

Painted Smile follows. It is one of two eight-minute-long tracks here. Following a melodic start, just before three minutes in the track expands into its main theme, that of a circus coming to town, thus maintaining the days of innocence theme, the painted smile, of course, those of the clowns and the keyboard chords perfectly reflect this, albeit in a rather dystopian way. The chorus telling us of being alive and having meaning is amongst the most evocative I have heard this year, and the track has grown into a favourite of 2022.

GameChanger is a belter of a commercial track, melodic expansive rock music at its best with expressive vocals, punchy chords, and a driven rhythm section taking us along with the main theme of changing the narrative in which we live following liberty from lockdown. Just before three minutes in, there is the opening burst of the most delightful retro sunshine rock you will hear this year before Fisher takes this forward with an expansive solo leading us into a chord-driven passage which takes us to the conclusion, much in the style of 80’s Rush. This is yet another track which I comment that if there were any justice in the world, it would be on the playlist of every single pop radio station and climbing the commercial charts. There is no such justice (and how many times have I said that?) but to those who can, sit back, blast it out, and enjoy. The video is embedded below.

Thief in the Night is up next. The lyrics talk of an old lady, nearing the end of her earthly life, reminiscing those earlier days (of innocence) with a past lover fluttering her heart. The vocals really are quite exquisite on this, and the band provide us with a narrative which talks of excitement, light, and the joy of love and life. The core message – those days of innocence and of youthful vigour never really leave you, and past loves can come back and take you to that place you thought was long gone. What a wonderful narrative and extraordinarily uplifting in its memories and music, of which the closing passage is especially lovely.

Yearn follows. The first half is a thoroughly unexpected contrast to everything which preceded it. Think of a visit to Hammersmith Odeon to see, oh, let’s say Camel, or any such classic prog band, and when you leave, you really do not wish to return to the bedsit, so you take yourself off to Ronnie Scott’s and there you take a few more drinks whilst the trumpet, silky drums, pumping bass, piano, and guitar chords accompany a deep voice to take you to another conscious level, as the best jazz will do. Four minutes in, we get the return of the ethereal female voice accompanying the delicate and yearning male vocal talking about a guide taking you to the other side. Again, the band provide the perfect musical themes to take you there, and the progressive theme reasserts itself.

Nevermore is the penultimate track, another relatively short affair at five and a half minutes. As with GameChanger, this has a punchier and more commercial feel to it and is enjoyable, especially the rising keyboards and falsetto screams “never more” above the looping guitar riff.

Album closer is Different Ways, the longest track here. It is an eight-minute plus epic track. I really appreciate the lyrics which tell us of seeing the world in different ways, and I take this as meaning in the context of the overarching theme as seeing it more like a child, with a sense of innocence and love, as opposed to much of the nastiness which pervades much of what passes for comment, especially online. The music itself is carefully crafted and is wholly symphonic in its execution. Some five minutes in, the mood slows down and we have the most beautiful guitar solo by Fisher, with some delicate keys and suppressed rhythm underlying, allowing the guitar space to breathe and take us into a rather special place. The closing section is very sixties psych in its feel, again taking us back to more innocent days, and I really love the drum effects here.

Days of Innocence is a fine album. The Bandcamp page is at https://stuckfish.bandcamp.com/album/days-of-innocence and it comes very highly recommended. My thanks to Thomas for the recommendation of another grand addition to a wonderful year of music.