'Novum' review

George Harris • 20 April 2017 • Jazz Weekly • online here

STILL, A SALTY DOG … Procol Harum: Novum

The first question that has to be asked about this most recent album lead [sic] by Gary Brooker is, “Can this really be called a ‘Procol Harum’ album if the lyrics are not done by Keith Reid?” Brooker, along with Geoff Dunn/dr, Matt Pegg/b, Josh Phillips/B3 and Geoff Whitehorn/g seem [sic] to think so, and even without the sophisticated rhymes included with the patented mix of blues, rock and classical, the album still retains the vintage Procol Harum touch.

Brooker is in great vocal form on the lonely and spartan pieces such as The Only One and Somewhen, while he gets Whitehorn to sound like Trower on the Whisky Train on the waililng [sic] Businessman. Vintage blues rock is delivered on Can’t Say That and the old trick of throwing in some classical licks is felt when Pachelbel’s Canon is used as wallpaper for Sunday Morning. Lyrical rhythms akin to their Ninth and Exotic Birds era makes [sic] things enjoyable on I Told You So [sic] and Image of The Beast, showing the band still has muscle in their melodies. Quite impressive at this stage of the game, but please, give Mr Reid a call to get back into the lyric sheets. Nothing but the truth!

Procol Harum albums