When Brave came about, many had given Marillion up for dead, as the band's previous "art rock" approach had been largely left behind in favor of more radio-friendly material. Not necessarily a smart choice when your fans are expecting consistently cerebral output from you, and the band seemed to notice with this ambitious concept album that saw its origins in a news report concerning a girl wandering on the Severn Bridge (which connects England and Wales) and refusing to say anything to the police. Just what exactly got singer Steve Hogarth's mind toiling away at the idea is unbeknownst to me, but whatever it was, most Marillion fans should be thankful for it, as it signified the band's brief return to progressive form.

And the short Pink Floydesque intro of "Bridge" sets the aforementioned return straight before the overwhelmingly emotional "Living With the Big Lie" shows Marillion's ample capabilities, especially when the song jumps from atmospheric gentility to controlled anger, above which Hogarth burns desperately as if being mercilessly torn apart by life. And as if the intensity wasn't already enough, "Runaway" flows in a heartrending fashion before exploding into a scarring solo by Steve Rothery and returning to Pink Floyd introspection on the lengthy "Goodbye to All That," which eventually proceeds to building up frantic levels of tension before disappearing into floating soundscapes of atmospheric beauty. Certainly not the Marillion of Holidays In Eden, or is it? Well, tracks such as "Hard As Love," "Paper Lies," and "Made Again" make for more accessible, albeit somehow forced, moments. Awkwardly enough, they're also the album's weakest points, as the obvious enthusiasm of the band and Hogarth's soulful delivery barely manage to hide the fact that the songs are nothing more than second-rate compositions; especially when compared to the rest of the album's brilliance (ok, "Paper Lies" has its moments).

Fortunately enough, they're only three songs, and Brave has eleven of them, so that when the ironically quasi-merry pop of "Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury" erupts from the clever lyrics of "The Hollow Men" it is the album's strengths, and not its weaknesses, that proudly stand out. Truth is, Brave is quite a rich experience, largely due to its dexterous lyrical coherence and Hogarth's quite capable emotional switches, which flow graciously above the rest of the band's dramatic output. And whether it is with Pink Floyd-like grandeur, atmospheric beauty, pop catchiness, or frantic emotion, it always remains a brave and awe-inspiring formula.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

back to top