Moon Letters
Seattle, Washington, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2016
Music
Press
In 2019, Moon Letters' debut album Until They Feel The Sun made its way firmly to the top of my year list. To this day, I still visit this astounding symphonic prog-gem regularly, so to state that I was looking forward to their sophomore effort is an understatement. Actually, as soon as the unexpected promo arrived one fine Monday morning I dropped everything I was expecting to do and immersed myself into their heavenly world of prog, folk and pomp rock.
With the band still consisting of Michael Trew (vocals, flute), Kelly Mynes (drums), Mike Murphy (bass), John Allday (keys) and Dave Webb (guitars), the album again sounds deliciously 70s-inspired with a modern freshness that makes it irresistible. With folk influences taking a back seat in comparison to their debut, it's every bit as strong and stunning.
The album bursts open with the energetic and meticulously arranged Sudden Sun. The fantastical rhythmic dexterity of drums/bass on the one hand, rivalled by the virtuoso interplay of keys/guitar on the other, is breathtakingly compelling. Seizing melodies stand proud amidst the enormous layered and ever-changing complexities of composition.
This is a quality that the band excels at during the heavy-prog sections where they fuel their compositions with a tantalising interaction that shines radiantly with A.C.T brilliance and signature Gentle Giant refinement. There are elements reminiscent of Zon, Symphonic Slam, Rose, Jethro Tull and a multitude of bands referred to in my past review.
Triptych The Astral Projectionist (comprising The Hrossa, Mother River, and Isolation And Foreboding) follows suite in similar prog-combustible fashion. Creating tension and cheerful happiness at the same time, it is The Hrossa's seamless transitions from fragile and sensitively into vibrantly energetic prog, filled with Yes and (flute-absent) Jethro Tull that impresses the most. Grand in nature with flirtations of Saga from the guitar, while strong harmonies embrace the divine melodies. This inspired adventurous composition is nothing short of brilliant.
Mother River adds elements of blues, with a darker-shading of Yes, the magnificent Isolation And Foreboding then ups the proverbial ante in prog/pomp deliciousness. A majestic showcase, it brings an overwhelming, superbly proportioned interaction from all involved, while it soars through a variety of moods and atmospheres at high speed.
Waltzing along to open side two (vinyl please!), Child Of Tomorrow is a wonderful demonstration of Michael Trew's great voice which shows a beautiful growth in power, range and expressiveness. It shortly lifts off in enticing rock before it lands softly in reflective planes, before which a glorious touch of acoustic guitar firmly launches the song into full gear. It freely splashes around in a colourful oasis of enchanted symphonic prog, this whirlwind passage meets the likes of Kansas and Tull. Complementary visions of Metaphor and Netherworld shine through for me as well. What a joy!
To all this magical musicianship, the epic grandeur of Fate Of The Alacorn adds blazing synths and feelings of stature, which is strengthened by a divine touch of ethereal church organ and Webb's tantalising guitar play. Yesterday Is Gone then gets to round-off this fabulous album with pristine harmonies and melodies that keep on growing and giving. The contemplative lyrics express the album's theme of humanity's challenging (un)certainties. After a delicious symphonic strophe, it leads into an elated awakening mindful to Yes, with wonderful Squire-like bass lines. When the song is finally over, all that's left to say is that Moon Letters have done it again. And brilliantly at that!
For the moment I still favour their debut album, hence my rating. But ask me sometime in the future and this could just as well be the other way around. The sublime way in which Moon Letters craft and execute their highly contagious and eclectic compositions is very invigorating and unique in today's progressive universe, and I simply love them for it. With artwork that in a strange, thought-provoking way appeals to my heritage Thank You From The Future will be another solid entry in my top-list of this year and I highly recommend it to symphonic prog fans. Trying to keep it short I'll finish by quoting the one remark I wrote down several times in my notes, besides bloody brilliant: what an immense joy!
- Jan Buddenberg - DPRP
"...all the members create and play progressive rock from the bottom of their hearts. It is finished as a perfect soulful work with progressive love explosion." - Yoshiyuki Ooseki / GENSOU SHINPI ONGAKUKAN (Fantasy Mysterious Music Hall)
"A listening recommended for all Prog lovers, both for purists and for those who love the most modern sounds, in my opinion a masterpiece of the genre and one of the best albums listened to in recent years." - Jacopo Vigezzi - Progressive Rock Journal
Reviews:
Altprogcore
Altremuse
Arlequins (Italy)
Autopoietican
Babyblaue Prog-Reviews
Background Magazine Netherlands
Betreutes Proggen
Can This Even Be Called Music? (Best of August)
Captain Beyond Zen – Doom Charts
Clair & Obscur
Cultartes
Daily Vault (US) – Duke Eggbert
DPRP (Double review)
(Gems by lesser-known bands ’22 list) (top 10 in two writer’s lists)
Eclipsed Magazine (Germany)
Elite Extremophile (Top 25 Albums of ’22)
Everything is Noise
Fireworks Magazine
GENSOU SHINPI ONGAKUKAN (Fantasy Mysterious Music Hall)
(top 10 of ’22)
Highlands Magazine (France)
HotMusicZine
iO Pages (Netherlands).
La Vie en Rock / KOID’9 (France)
Metalised Life (Best of ’22)
MLWZ.PL (Poland)
Music Street Journal – Gary Hill
Musikreviews.de
Nonsolo Progrock
Organ Thing (Sean Worrall)
Pete’s Rock News and Views
Plus PROG de Vous
Profilprog
PROG
Prog Dog Dean Wolfe
Prog-Resiste
Prog & Rock
Prog Bar Italia
Prog Censor
Prog Critique
The Progfiles
The Progressive Aspect
Progressive Rock Central (Mark Preising) (Top 10 of ’22)
Progressive Rock Fanatics (Stephen Conrad)
Progressive Rock Journal
Progressor.net
Progspace
ProgVisions
Progwereld
Rock Castle Franken
Rockportaal.NL
Kev Rowland
Saitenkult
Skylab (top picks of the quarter – fall ’22)
Strutter Magazine
Take Effect
Third Eye – Psych Jams of the Week
Xymphonia (Band of Sept + Mini Review) (Best of ’22 List)
Your Music Blog / Netherlands
Radio:
Adventures in Plasticland
Angel’s Indie Corner – Belter Radio (UK)
Banks Radio Australia
Beat Route Radio – Bob Prigmore
Betreutes Proggen
C – Sides 88.1
CastleBlakk Radio
The Cavern KSOI
CFBX
CHUO 89.1
CJSW – Attention Surplus Disorder / Richard
Flight of the Sky Pilot on Progzilla
Friday Night Progressive
Gagliarchives
House of Prog – DJ Tony
Indies with Marky
ISKC The Prog Files (Rotterdam)
Kiss that Prog
Gregg Kovach (Chicago) The Portal / The Scope both on FM and House of Prog
La Filiere Progressive
MLWZ.PL
New Ears Prog Show – Alan B - (Top 10 List)
Oliver Toth's "Olli's Prog and More”
The Other Rock Show (Marina / UK) The Organ Presents
Pat’s Picks the Prog Rock Hour (best of ’22 show)
Prog Alley
The Prog and Rock Show
Prog Core Live - Montreal
Prog Doc / House of Prog – Think he played it
Prog Palace Radio
Prog Tracks (best of ’22 show)
The Prog Sampler Series
Prog-Watch / Tony
Progarchy (best of Nom w/ Chuck & Richard)
The ProgBlog
Progcore Radio – Denis & Pierre
ProgDosis (Mexico)
PROGnozy w/ Pawel
Progrock for Beginners
Progzilla – Prog Tracks /
Radio Home of Rock . de
Radio Show Progdependent
Ralphy’s Music of the World
RockProgresivo (best of ’22 Playlist)
Rock Arte 90.5fm (Spanish)
Rock Man’s Podcast
The Sentinel’s Marvellous Kaleidescope
Sinefm – Steve Peer
Smorgaschords
Steve and Lou’s World of Prog (The Lost Art)
Symfomania Rock Show – Hoex Radio
Symfozone (10 favs of ’22)
Sympho Experience –
Terra Incognita
(’22 Retrospective Special) (1 hour restrospective with intros)
They Think It’s All Over – itisnow Radio
Third Class Ticket Radio Show
Virtual Noise – Prof Ted – KOOP
Warm Radio UK
When Prog & Metal Unite – Aloys
Wildman Steve’s Prog Hour K99 Rocks
X-PODIA
Interviews:
Cultartes
Eclipsed (Germany)
New Ears Radio with Alan B (audio)
Prog Dog Dean Wolfe
Progressive Rock Journal (text)
Prog Rock Central w/ Mark P (video)
Profilprog w/ Roberto Cabral
Youtube
Classic Album Review
Nathan on Shuffle / New Music Shuffle (end of year list)
No Life til Metal (Top 30 Hard and Heavy of ’22)
Notes Reviews – Michael
Melody Lane
Compilations
Anthems from the Alley Vol. 3 – Prog Rock Alley on CFRO - Various
Discography
Until They Feel the Sun - 2019
Mother River (single) - 2022
Thank You From the Future - 2022
Photos
Bio
Moon Letters is a rock band from Seattle, USA that formed in 2016. They deliver electrifying live shows that blend progressive song structures with memorable melodies, technical complexity, and theatrical stage performance. These elements have led to thrilled audiences and a growing international fan base.
Their debut album, Until They Feel the Sun, was released in 2019 with renowned producer Barrett Jones (Foo Fighters) at the helm. A concept album exploring the Selkie mythos of the North Sea, the album received very positive reviews internationally. Mark Preising of Prog Rock Central wrote: “Please get this album and enjoy every minute of it, like I did. Right now, it is my favorite prog album of 2019." After a stunning performance at that year's Seaprog festival (opening for Reuter and Gunn), Moon Letters quickly found themselves at the vanguard of the new wave of American progressive rock.
Their second album, Thank You From the Future was produced in Seattle by Robert Cheek (Band of Horses). It was released in late 2022 and has been rabidly embraced by prog fans throughout the world. The album's lyrics explore personal growth, the future of the world, and sci-fi imaginations of the space age. Musically, the band dances between complexity and immediacy, navigating odd time signatures, multi-part harmonies, and moving from the jarring and angular to the sweet and sublime. Fans of classic 70s progressive rock will likely find some familiar sonic handrails to hold while being whisked into new, more modern directions and complex territory.
"A listening recommended for all Prog lovers, both for purists and for those who love the most modern sounds, in my opinion a masterpiece of the genre and one of the best albums listened to in recent years."
- Jacopo Vigezzi / Progressive Rock Journal
2023 saw Moon Letters touring both the East and West coasts of the USA, in addition to blowing the roof off the Terra Incognita Festival stage in Quebec City, Canada (opening for Anekdoten and La Maschera Di Cera). This followed with another visit to the east coast for ProgDay International Festival. This March will find them in Florida for Prog on the Ranch, which directly follows Cruise to the Edge. With two memorable records and a live show that leaves audiences floored, the band is ready to howl at the moon as they take on bigger stages and plan for future albums.
Band Members
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