I guess I have long since joined the ranks of grumpy old farts who pay no attention whatsoever to what happens in the realm of mainstream pop music. Mainstream rock bands occasionally make me prick my ears but not very often, to be honest. Yeah, I’m a Finn, and grimly shaded metal and prog are what I eat for breakfast. Nonetheless, I cannot avoid being excited beyond words whenever I chance to encounter adventurous and smart pop-rock that is spiritually aligned with artists such as NINE INCH NAILS, the 1980s iteration of GENESIS, TEARS FOR FEARS, or JAPAN, let alone the offshoot solo careers of Peter Gabriel and David Sylvian. The mixture of virtuosic art-rock soundscapes and catchy pop elements is a match made in heaven for me. Now, enter the brainchild of longtime veterans of the US rock scene, TODAY WAS YESTERDAY, comprised of session drummer Ty Dennis and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Angelo Barbera. Due out on February 23rd, 2024, via Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group, their self-titled debut is a treasure trove of just this sort of audio delicacy. Tilting the impression slightly toward the proggier side of things, Alex Lifeson of RUSH contributes his signature chops on six of the album’s ten tracks. Then, Robby Krieger, probably best known for his stint in THE DOORS but whose recent solo endeavors are pretty damn spectacular as well, joins the party for one track with his otherworldly slide-guitar playing. The choice of guests is pretty telling; for a mainstream rock album, this selection is perhaps way too imaginative, whereas the most eccentric of proggers might be dissatisfied with the apparent lack of differential math riffs. “Today Was Yesterday” transcends genres with a somewhat old-school-ish approach that echoes the iconic endeavors of past masters. Perhaps the name chosen for this powerhouse duo is just as telling as the choice of guests: something old, something new.
The ball is set in motion with the moody opener, “Grace,” evoking both the neo-prog sound of, say, the British prog squad, IQ, and “Physical Graffiti”-era LED ZEPPELIN. The guitars, in the verses, in particular, resonate with the spacious air of some of those prog-cum-pop acts of the 1980s. The occasional RUSH vibe might have something to do with the fact that the song features Lifeson on guitar. By way slapping pretty damn hard, this song makes one hell of a good first impression. Lyrically, the song is about the fentanyl epidemic, so it is a no-brainer that the music delivers a good, tight jab in the face, just like it should.
The vocal duties are handled by Barbera, whose signature sound is slightly reminiscent of Peter Gabriel. The impression is further pronounced by the songs, “A Louder Silence” and “Borrowed,” as both traverse somewhat similar sonic terrain to Gabriel‘s solo endeavors. The former throws in some oriental flavor with a bassline that recalls some of Tony Levin‘s most iconic grooves from the 1980s. The latter, in turn, resonates with a tad more contemporary Gabriel aesthetic, as though paying homage to the “Digging in the Dirt”-era. TODAY WAS YESTERDAY isn’t obviously the only contemporary band to tap into this sort of sonic vein but, to give credit where it is due, they certainly cherish the old-school tenets of songwriting while emulating the sounds of yesteryear – that is, there is a good ebb and flow of emotion about the song, let alone the album as a whole.
The song to feature Krieger‘s haunting slide-chops is a slow, almost ambient blues piece entitled “If I Fall (Silly Games).” The ethereal soundscapes instantly trigger nice flashbacks of both David Sylvian and Tim Bowness. Sure, the song could do with a tad more punchy hooks than those delicate falsetto lines but, then again, the track is placed just before the most uptempo banger on the album. I guess it is supposed to be a meditative breather – and as such, it works rather nicely; it gets better with each additional spin as you discover all sorts of new details and nuances in the ocean of vocal and synth layers.
Then, “Rukus” picks up the pace with somewhat fusion-tinged basslines and funky brass stabs. This track sure raises some ruckus, just like its title suggests, creating a stark contrast to the rest of the album. Yeah, mostly the selection is comprised of slow or mid-tempo tracks, and even though this track is not necessarily intense in terms of tempo, it sure conveys a sense of restlessness but in a good way.
That said, not even the most slow-burning songs on this effort manage to trigger my innate repulsion for ballads. Love songs are the worst but, on this album, there are none – unless “My Dog Is My God” counts as one, albeit it is one of the more uptempo-ish bangers on this outing, with a circus-music break and all! Among the slow-tempo songs, “On My Own” nods slightly toward Robert Plant‘s early-1990s classic “29 Palms” and “I Take All,” in turn, channels the spirit of Phil Collins quite remarkably.
Okay, I wouldn’t probably have placed “My New Low,” with its overly ambient feel, as the album’s closer. It does not create a sense of closure, if there should be such a vibe, to begin with. Closing an album is a delicate art. David Sylvian pulled off the trick of ending his “Dead Bees On A Cake” with the floating-in-zero-gravity track, “Darkest Dreaming,” so I guess there is no absolute right way to do it. My take on this particular case here might change after a few more spins. A matter of fact is that “Today Was Yesterday” is an interesting peek into the progressively airbrushed rock aesthetics of this up-and-coming duo. It might take a little time to get to the bottom of this album but that’s just the way it is with extraordinary music. There is a lot to like already and with time, I’m sure this one could grow to be quite a gem!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Grace (feat. Alex Lifeson)
- A Louder Silence (feat. Alex Lifeson)
- On My Own (feat. Alex Lifeson)
- I Take All (feat. Ed Roth)
- My Dog Is My God (feat. Alex Lifeson)
- Faceless Faraway Song (feat. Alex Lifeson)
- If I Fall (Silly Games) (feat. Robby Krieger)
- Rukus
- Borrowed
- My New Low (feat. Alex Lifeson)
Lineup
Ty Dennis – drums, percussion, programming
Angelo Barbera – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, programming
Label
Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group
