Review: Gong ‘Bright Spirit’
To talk about Gong is to talk about a big part of prog rock history, especially the Canterbury scene, where psychedelia and experimentation became something truly unique. In the early years, the band was led by Daevid Allen, and it’s where all the mythology comes from – flying teapots, pothead pixies, a mix of humour and cosmic ideas made them different from everyone else.
Then with Pierre Moerlen, the band moved into a more jazz and fusion direction, more technical, maybe less magical for some people, but still very much Gong. After the ’70s, the band split into many directions, until Daevid Allenreturned in the ’90s and restarted things until his death in 2015. The current lineup with Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Ian East, Fabio Golfetti, and Cheb Nettles really clicked around I See You (2014), and that chemistry is still here.
Bright Spirit starts very loose and atmospheric, almost like nothing is really happening, but that’s the point. Slowly, it locks into a groove, and the band starts to build intensity, moving like a living form as it jams and flows. That’s where Gong is strongest. The rhythm section carries a lot of the album, and the natural progression feels organic, not forced.
The rhythm section carries a lot of the album, and the natural progression feels organic, not forced…
I can compare this record to other Gong works, but it clearly sounds like Gong as it’s a space psychedelic trip without trying too hard. The last records had something different; this feels like an old band that finally found how to update its sound without losing its identity.
I was never a big fan of Gong, but this record changed that. It’s easy to connect with, and more importantly, it gives that feeling you expect from a band like this and not every album does that. In the end, Bright Spirit is not their best record, but it doesn’t need to be. It sounds like Gong, and that’s enough. You don’t need to be a fan or know their history to appreciate it.
Label: Kscope
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Renzo
