Merry Christmas everybody, as a thanks I've decided to make my album Free for the foreseeable future on my Bandcamp page. You can of course "Pay What You Want" but please, if you can't afford to pay, just hit download and get it. I'd much rather you listen to my music than not.
As a taster here's a review that was posted on Amazon a short time ago by the author Mike Martin.
A fine solo work from Chris Picton (a founder member of the criminally underrated Quecia).
Chris's progressive rock roots and credentials run deep, but there's a lot more to his work than that. He isn't afraid to add to the mix and bring in other styles and influences, which gives his songs a modern feel whilst emphasising his belief in musicianship and attention to detail.
If you hark back to an era when the mastery of musical instruments and creative studio time drove bands to produce genuinely innovative music that stood the test of time, check this out. If you can't remember those days, check it out anyway. You might be surprised!
A brief rundown of the tracks:
Run On This Land: A mournful, atmospheric instrumental song dominated by an intriguing interplay of delicate piano, powerful sweeps of synthesiser and fine guitar work.
Judgement Day: Evocative keyboard interplay gives way to harder, guitar driven pieces interspaced with delicate interludes until drums and keyboards build to augment the guitar work on a standout track.
Face To Face: Hayley Mc Carrick (of Quecia) makes a welcome return, her vocals matched superbly by Chris's rich, multi-instrumental backdrop which drives the music without intruding on her sensitive and compelling performance.
Frozen In Time: Begins with a wash of haunting synthesiser and poignant guitar, and then builds nicely with drums and more guitar, weaving effortlessly in style and mood to great effect.
Solar Motion: A delicate, piano led introduction gains momentum when fuelled with driving drums, flowing rock guitar and potent synthesiser. The reprises of piano provide a beguiling contrast to the building tempo and power of a very well-crafted song.
Still Life: The title track is graced by Kirsty Mc Carrick (another Quecia stalwart). Yearning and angst are never overstated in a fine vocal performance ably matched by Chris's powerful but always complimentary and sympathetic instrumentals.
Free Fall: Mournful, evocative lead guitar dominates another fine instrumental track.
Sunny Side: A track in the same vein as Free Fall but with a lighter, more optimistic feel, where the other instruments are allowed more space to roam and interweave with the guitars.