Sluka - Cautionary Yell (Steel Flower Music)

Modern prog rock favorites, Sluka, have returned with their latest record Cautionary Yell, which was released by Steel Flower Music earlier last month. Although this is, impressively, Sluka’s fourteenth album, it was three years in the making, which explains the chaos and turbulence of this timespan seeping into the proceedings. Cautionary Yell is a loosely arranged concept album about “desperately trying to be optimistic in the face of impending doom.” It’s a theme that is echoed by the dramatic cover art’s classic prog rock style and the sound of this record, which is lyrically more intense and emotionally vulnerable than some of the band’s previous releases.

Produced by Alan Sanderson, who has worked on records by everyone from Fiona Apple to Paul Westerberg, there is a distinctly British flavor to the brand of prog rock on display here. Although the big names like Pink Floyd and Genesis are clearly an influence on theatrical tracks like “Sunset Screamer,” there is also a hint of English pastoralism à la The Kinks evident on “When the Genie’s Out” and “Saving It All.” It creates a fascinating contrast and tension when paired with the subject matter, as if subtly betraying the true heft of what’s being communicated in a brilliant bit of sleight of hand. Cautionary Yell is an impressive addition to an already storied discography for Sluka, and a real jewel in the crown to cap off what has come before.