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Forget what you’ve heard from Engineers on previous outings. Those records were dreamy shoegaze with only tiny hints of what comes to us now. The band now consists of multi-instrumentalist Mark Peters, ambient artist/producer Ulrich Schnauss, and drummer/composer Matthew Linley. If you liked the last collaboration of Peters and Schnauss, you’ll be right on board with this release.
The sharper edges have been sanded down and burnished with creamy synth lines and sweet vocals. Still, Peters has that distinctive voice that reminds me of The Beta Band. And I certainly hear that here, even with the personnel and stylistic changes. “It Rings So True” and “Drive Your Car” are the most like the Engineers of yore, and I am thankful for that since the first album is my absolute favorite. But the winds of change blow through us all, and Mark is moving toward more experimental synth pop with occasional jazz overtones, and seems less inclined to trot out traditional song structures. And that’s OK really, because it’s all good.
“A Million Voices” hearkens back to the Alan Parsons Project, displaying flashes of prog rock with a modern twist. I do prefer the tracks where Mark sings over the instrumental pieces, the latter lending themselves better to film soundtracks. While I admit to missing the shoegazey elements, I recognize that moving on to new pastures is part of the creative process. “Always Returning” is something to be savored and ingested slowly while it unfolds in your consciousness. Take it in slowly, and you will be rewarded.
