Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)

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Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)

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In 2016, America's eternally popular prog juggernaut Kansas returned to studio recording for the first time since their 2000 reunion outing Somewhere to Elsewhere. The resultant The Prelude Implicit also marked debuts for lead vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, and guitarist Zak Rizvi. Remarkably, it reflected the band's vintage sonic signature and songwriting/arranging chops without craven nostalgia. Four years on, Absence of Presence builds on the strengths of its predecessor, yet goes far deeper into the prog aesthetic. Kansas' popularity is based on the canny balance of meaty prog and radio-friendly melodic rock. Here, that strategy is more prevalent than on The Prelude Implicit.

The title-track opener juxtaposes David Ragsdale's omnipresent violin (Kansas is the only American band with this trademark), chunky, hard rock guitars from Rich Williams and Rivzi, new member Tom Brislin's arpeggiated and rhythmically rich keyboards, a prodding bassline from Billy Greer, and majestic drumming from Phil Ehart, all spiraling into a commanding prog jam. Platt's singing, while not similar to retired member Steve Walsh's, is crystalline, evocative, and deeply expressive. "Throwing Mountains" intros with thunderous guitars and attenuated violin fills before Platt delivers wide-eyed hopeful lyrics that acknowledge adversity as a necessary stage in triumph. Second single "Jets Overhead" offers a gorgeous synth hook as its melodic frame. The twinned electric guitar riffs and processional tom-toms underscore Ragsdale's violin and the droning bassline to usher the set's most memorable track. Cleverly, Kansas follow with "Propulsion 1," an explosive, labyrinthine instrumental. Given the COVID-19 world this album emerges in, "Memories Down the Line" is eerily prescient. A signature Kansas power ballad, its lyrics reflect the end of civilization as we know it: "Send these memories down the line/Our trials and tribulations/Send these memories down the line/And let them know we tried/Lessons locked inside…." While the philosophical melancholy and existential angst remain in "Circus of Illusion," the music is more aggressive, knotty, and yes, hooky. "Animals on the Roof" is a forceful and dramatic prog number driven by Ehart. The power-riffing guitars and Ragsdale's swirling violin meet syncopated rhythms as Platt rises above the maelstrom. While "Never" is a graceful, anthemic paean to self-determination and redemption, closer "The Song the River Sang" follows more intimate and intricate terrain before erupting into passionate prog. The band wind bluesy, metallic guitars into colliding synths and clavinets, ambient sounds, and chunky rock grooves. Fans will find Absence of Presence a welcome addition to Kansas' catalog that is indeed comparable to their best recordings. For non-followers, it is both a musically and stylistically excellent example of 21st century American prog rock.

by Thom Jurek, allmusic

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Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)

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Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)

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