Pattern-Seeking Animals - Prehensile Tales (2020) [Hi-Res]

Pattern-Seeking Animals is an American progressive rock supergroup formed in 2018 by Ted Leonard, Dave Meros, John Boegehold and Jimmy Keegan; all of whom are current and former members and collaborators of fellow progressive rock ensemble Spock's Beard. The band was put together to perform some music that Boegehold had been writing in 2018, with Leonard and Meros co-writing some of the material. They eventually agreed to turn it into a band and now intend to release one album every year and go on tour with additional session musicians. After signing with Inside Out Music, the band released its first, self-titled album on July 5, 2019. The second album, Prehensile Tales, came out less than a year later, on May 15, 2020.

Pattern-Seeking Animals, the California-based band featuring Ted Leonard (lead vocals & guitars), Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals), Dave Meros (bass) and John Boegehold (keyboards) is set to release its second studio album in just under a year. Prehensile Tales continues on the same stylistic path as their eponymously-named debut with a few new turns along the way.

For the six songs on the album (the longest clocking in at over 17 minutes), the band expanded its sonic footprint by introducing violin, flute, trumpet, cello, sax and pedal steel to the sound palette that was once again recorded & mixed by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House. Lyrically, the songs’ subjects run the gamut from second chances in life to vampires to shipwrecks to facing mortality.

“I started writing for the second album right as we were finishing up the first one” says Boegehold, who is again producing. “I wanted to change around some of the songwriting approaches I’d been using and draw from a few different musical influences while not straying too far from the overall vibe of the band. Adding a few new instruments to the mix was part of the equation.” "This album is another collection of lush arrangements and infectious melodies. I mean REALLY infectious.” Says Leonard. “There are certain lines that are the last thing going through my head at night and the first thing in the morning. I think it's actually furthering my insanity."

Meros adds: “OK, I'll say it. . . I really, really liked the debut album, but I like this one even more. It's one of those albums where everything came together just right." The album art is by the Polish artist Mirek. “The moment I saw it, it immediately seemed like a perfect fit for the band and this album,” explains Boegehold. The meaning of album title? “Prehensile Tales is a play-on-words I came up with while writing lyrics and thought it would be a funny album title. As a bonus, it actually seems to mean something that fits the music.”