The Tirith - Return of the Lydia (2022)

"Return of the Lydia" (released October 21, 2022) is the third studio album by the British trio The Tirith.

This band has a unique history: they originally formed in the 1970s under the name Minas Tirith (named after the city in Tolkien's universe) and were a cult underground phenomenon on the British scene, but never released an official album. Reforming in 2010 as The Tirith, the musicians brought their old-school spirit into the 21st century, and this album is one of their most mature works.

The album's sound is deeply rooted in classic 1970s British prog. The music here is deeply melodic, pastoral, and narrative. You'll hear echoes of Pink Floyd (in the atmospheric guitar solos), early Genesis, and Barclay James Harvest (in the soft keyboard textures and vocal harmonies). At the same time, the band isn't afraid to add weight to their guitar sound, at times approaching powerful hard rock in the vein of Mountain.

The music breathes with delicate acoustic guitar passages, piano, Hammond organ, and Mellotron, which suddenly give way to assertive, dense riffs. Richard Corey's vocals are smooth, confident, and narrative, devoid of pathos and excessive theatrics, giving the album a very warm and vibrant sound.