Marty Willson-Piper’s day job is still with Aussie rock band the Church, but when it comes to his outside efforts, you could say he’s non-denominational. With an ample solo career, stints with Brit folk rockers All About Eve and Noctorum -- a sometime side project with bassist Dare Mason -- Willson-Piper seems to rarely sit still. It’s impressive that quantity doesn’t impinge on his quality; although he rarely strays from the Church’s dreamy, semi-psychedelic motif, he also proves a prolific songsmith under his own aegis. The latest example of his productive prowess falls under the guise of Offer The Light, Noctorum’s second effort and a superb, if somewhat belated, follow-up to the duo’s fine 2003 debut, Sparks Lane. Nevertheless, “Alain Delon” starts the album out on a somewhat false note, given that it sounds suspiciously like Santana with a slinky-voiced Rob Thomas at the helm. However, from that point on - with the exception of the quirky and kinetic “Lover’s Head,” a foreboding “Already Dead” and the swampy-sounding “Surrounded” -- Mason and Wilson-Piper’s drift is flush with ethereal folk. Playing practically all the instruments between them, they create rich aural impressions, from the sweeping cosmic revelry of “Let Me Tell You A Secret” and “Stop Cryin’ Your Eyes Out” to the mellow acoustic tapestry of “Hopes And Fears,” “The Muse” and “The Striker.” A gorgeous, multi-textured affair, Offer The Light shines brightly.
--Lee Zimmerman
