It was the name that drew me to this band, as it reminded me of a line from one of the late, great Ken Hensley’s songs… ”today is only yesterday’s tomorrow” which has always resonated with me. As does the band in question: Today Was Yesterday (which is also a Roy Harper song) are multi-instrumentalists Ty Dennis and Angelo Barbera, and features Alex Lifeson of Rush as well as Robby Krieger of The Doors as guest guitarists.
This alliance is best explained by Ty… he’d been in house bands for all-star concerts in which Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was a special guest. In 2022, Ty gave Alex a lift back to his hotel from a club, and Ty played Alex some Today Was Yesterday songs. “Alex said ‘I am so impressed by what you’re doing, I’d love to be a part of it, if you ever want guitar, but don’t feel obligated,’” Ty recalls. “I couldn’t believe it!” Alex ended up playing on 6 of the album’s 10 tracks.
So with two great guitarists adding weight to the undoubted talents of Ty and Angelo, we are treated to ten tracks that roam the sonic landscape with prog rock tinges wrapping around solid rock structures.
Take opener, ‘Grace,’ Lifeson adds his deft touches and the result is a sort of Rush crossed with late-period Zep, and it all works very well indeed. Vocally, Angelo puts in a great performance evoking a Gabriel kind of intonation but with his own voice and powerful message delivery.
The guitar genius of Robby Krieger only features on one track… and what a track! His slide work on ‘If I Fall (Silly Games)’ is sublime and adds enough atmosphere to replenish the ozone layer.
Other highlights amongst many are the duo, sans guest, combining funk and prog into a fusion delight. ‘On My Own’ could have been on a mid-career Plant solo album; if Lifeson had guested there too. ‘My Dog Is God’ is pure prog niceness, and ‘Borrowed’ showcases the duo again on this Gabriel-ic rock/pop/prog delicacy.
In short, if you like prog that has original forays into that (and other) genres, this is a must-have addition to your collection. Fans of Rush and Lifeson will be equally enthralled by TWY’s adventurous release.
Today Was Yesterday is released on 23rd February 2024.
 are multi-instrumentalists Ty Dennis and Angelo Barbera, and features Alex Lifeson...){kind=link}