Songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Doug Powell was a cult hero to the power pop underground in the 90s and early ‘aughts, with good reason on evidence of brilliant records like The Lost Chord, Day For Night and Ballad of the Tin Men (his lone major label effort). After Four Seasons, a sort of odds ‘n’ sods LP that came out in 2006, Powell left music for a while out of both disgust for the industry and a commitment to the spiritual field of Christian apologetics. Coming full circle, the latter inspired his return to his studio with The Apprentice’s Sorcerer. The record uses the terminology of stage magic to take the listener through the Transcendental Argument for God’s existence, with each song covering a different aspect of the philosophy.
Powell wraps these high-minded concepts (which are better explained on Powell’s website or Wikipedia than anything I could attempt here) in music that on first blush sounds like a major departure from his previous power pop work. Relying on programmed rhythms and synthesizers, Powell pushes his songs out of the guitar pop ghetto and into a sort of progressive rock arena that replaces pomposity with density. His guitar and piano make frequent appearances, mind you, and there’s little here that would qualify as dance music. Electronics may dominate the arrangements, but they don’t overwhelm the melodies, which remain as memorable as anything Powell has ever composed. Indeed, rocking songs like “Automaton,” “The Mascot Moth” and “Second Sight” are less departures than further development on the contrasting prog/pop ideas he introduced on The Lost Chord and Day For Night It’s more of a natural progression, in other words, rather than any kind of radical shift – the better to sing a genuinely catchy song about the concept of “Palingenesia.” “The Uninvisible Man” and “Magic Lantern,” meanwhile, strip back the lush clutter of most of the album for the latest of his trademark gorgeous ballads.
The subject matter may be off-putting for some, but it doesn’t need to be. Powell is wrestling with some weighty ideas here, and while there’s no question as to which side of the fence he falls on, he’s more interested in presenting his thoughts for our consideration than proselytizing or browbeating. Christian apologetics isn’t the easiest concept to grasp, especially for us unbelievers, but I’d argue you don’t need to fully understand, or even buy into, Powell’s argument to grok the music on The Apprentice’s Sorcerer.
http://www.dougpowell.com
http://www.selflessdefense.com
