Over the years, Nick Magnus has established himself as a respected keyboard player – particularly in the Prog world but also in Pop and other genres – an inventive producer and a creative writer. He has done this through a succession of works and contributions to familiar names such as Steve Hackett, Renaissance and China Crisis. He has done this quietly, concurrently, with a solo career in partnership with lyricist, David Foster, starting with their first full collaboration, Hexameron, released in 2004.

 

Twenty years on, Nick and David have obviously learnt a thing or two and poured everything they have learnt into A Strange Inheritance. Is it a concept album? Yes. Do the tracks stand up on their own? Yes. Anything else? Well, it’s a sweeping opus that will have you hooked and intrigued from the opening sound effects and monologue until the heartstring tugging guitar and vocals on To Whom It May Concern. In between those, there is an entire album of beautiful music enhanced by the lyrics, a love story that is original, tragic and a bit of a mystery.

 

Nick doesn’t release a lot of solo albums but when he does, they are quality and always better than his last release. On this one, we have, undoubtedly, his best orchestral work (albeit everything played on a keyboard) and his best composition in Four Winds. In it are dramatic moments that Wagner or Carl Orff would be proud of but also the gentleness of Dvořák as Nick takes us through Mother Nature at her calmest and angriest.

 

Being a producer when it comes to recording your solo album obviously has its advantages and for you hi-fi fans out there, this is a treat. Every instrument, sound effect and vocal are crystal clear; the mix is subtle, spacious and dynamic. We are taken on a ride, much like riding the swells and troughs of an ocean, which with multiple listens, take you deeper into the mix. Nick has also captured the guest musician’s performance as an individual and dropped them into the mix so that they stand out as a character and not just a contribution: John Greenwood’s Spanish guitar solo on Blood Money and Steve Hackett’s harmonica solo are masterstrokes.

 

It’s rather ironic that the lead character on this album came from an idea for a musical in the first place because in an expanded form, it’s easy to envision this as a musical. This is the Magnus-Foster team’s most enjoyable work to date and should be listened to from start to finish in one sitting so do yourself a favour, grab yourself a glass of wine, a fine cheese, turn off your phone, sit back and enjoy.

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Track List

An Almost Silent Witness

Blood Money

Philadelphia

At Sea at Night

Four Winds

Welcome To The Island

Black and Scarlet

To Whom it May Concern