5to4 is the new alias of UK-based musician Phil Goss. Goss had previously released an album in 2006 called Dream Diary, but his new three track EP, Tip It can be seen something as a reintroduction, or a restatement of his main musical ideas. The prog rock-rooted EP is predominately keyboard driven in a darkly whimsical manner akin to Peter Gabriel era Genesis. Goss’s semi-whispered vocals seem to lurk and leap around, stalking and occasionally latching onto the music.
Although there is something decidedly left of center about the music of 5to4, the first two tracks, “Tip It” and “It’s Not That It’s Not” have moments that veer into surprisingly poppy territory; the former having a bouncing, edgy quality while the latter is actually beautiful at times. It is the third track, “Walk,” that is the most traditionally progressive, an instrumental that sounds like it could have come from Yes or King Crimson. Goss has said he has an interest in dreams and imagination, and nowhere is this more clear than on this final track. Released January 12th, Tip It is an engaging miniature introduction to the music of 5to4.
