After spending forty-five years playing guitar in Rush, one of the most renowned rock bands in history, Alex Lifeson likely thought he wouldn’t be involved in any more band projects and would instead focus on solo work if he chose to record again. However, everything changed when he met the musicians who form Envy of None. Since that encounter, he has produced two albums and an EP with this new group and appears to be thoroughly enjoying this new chapter in his life. He shares: “Envy of None has been a wonderful escape from my past, bringing a sense of liberation. I’m proud of my past but I now feel I’ve finally disconnected from it.”
It’s certainly different. This is the band’s sophomore album and if you were expecting to find an album with Rush-style synths and guitar rock, think again. What you’ll find is a dreamy, ambient-sounding album with lots of synths and ethereal-sounding vocals plus some very interesting textures, alongside a few dark patches here and there. Lifeson’s guitar is not at the forefront either; it is simply a part of the whole rather than the primary sound. Here, he’s just a musician having to do things slightly different from Rush, contributing to a genuine full-on collaboration. When he does offer guitar breaks, such as on the trance like ‘Under The Stars’ singing “You and me under the stars, everyone said we’d never go far”. Then there’s the gorgeous ‘New Trip’ where his playing is both controlled and creative.
From the opener ‘Not Dead Yet,’ with its refrain of “I’m not dead yet, come see what I’m good for” – right up to the closing track ‘Stygian Waves,’ with minimal vocals and proggy atmospherics, the album is a series of eleven tracks with a 1980’s electronica feel, albeit with a modern sounding soundscape, which is occasionally very tranquil with piled on synths, layered vocals and varying textures on tracks like ‘Raindrops.’ On the superb ‘Handle With Care’, there’s an almost trippy vibe. But the main USP of the album is the gorgeous vocals of Maiah Wynne, whose breathy, ethereal-sounding vocal delivery is often captivatingly haunting.
Envy Of None have navigated the problematic second album syndrome quite superbly, and it’s easy to see what attracted Alex Lifeson to this project. They’ve yet to tread the boards, so will gigs follow? Will Lifeson step back into the limelight upon the lighted stage approaching the unreal? (Sorry!)
