The original lineup featured Nick Beggs and Frosty Beedle but they have since left and the current lineup is John Young – keyboards, lead vocals, Jon Poole – bass guitar, vocals, Zoltán Csörsz – drums, percussion, Dave Bainbridge – guitar, keyboards and Steve Rispin – sound engineer, production.
All the band have years of experience and on a recording like this you really can hear those years of familiarity with their kit but also their ease at playing together, essential for a tight live performance.
Musically, they are melodic but complex. Cast in a classic Progressive mould, you can hear electronic instruments and analogue working in harmony and John Young’s vocals are high and pure. There is a strong keyboard presence, but Dave Bainbridge’s guitar gets plenty of room to work and breathe. Jon Poole plays bass with jazz dexterity and with Zoltan Csörsz playing powerful and expansive drums their sound has hight and width, creating a huge soundscape.
Their music is often mesmeric, long keyboard passages, splashing of cymbals and constant, slow, pace but when they kick up a gear, they show all the punch and drive of the best of them.
But they are best on the slow balladic pieces where they can make full use of Jon Young’s vocals against a complex melody.
Lifesigns are a really special band. Classic, modern Prog. Never inaccessible and playing live seems to work so well for them.
