This is the bit, dear reader, where I make myself out to be an uneducated philistine, but when you say to me, “The Moody Blues,” I go, “Yeah, ‘Nights in White Satin,'” and then stare for a bit.
Which is why this EP from John Lodge (their guitar player for not far off 60 years) didn’t exactly cross my radar last week when it came out.
However, one listen to the beautiful—and really, there is no other word for it—”Sunset Over Cocohatchee Bay” means you can forget all you don’t know and simply focus on it.
A quite lovely, gentle instrumental, as warm as the Florida breeze (although, judging by the real estate prices in the area, it might be out of my price range), it welcomes you into a world where the harshness of 2025 is but a memory.
The title track follows on perfectly, while “The Sun Will Shine” adds lush strings and the vocals of Jon Davison—yes, that one (see what I did there?). But what is particularly special about this is that it was reimagined from lockdown and almost serves as a marker that things will get better.
There is hope here, particularly in “In These Crazy Times” (another from the COVID era). Obviously, things are still terrible in myriad different ways, but the line “but together we can make it through” resonates loud and clear, despite the gentle way it’s delivered.
The last of these, “Whispering Angels,” is another new one, and Geoff Downes enjoys himself too. The harmonies are as gorgeous as they are simple, and the guitar playing is sensationally understated.
“Love Will Conquer All” taps into my belief that the good outweighs the bad in this world. The good will prevail too, surely.
The only mood here is contentment, and the only blue is the sky and sea. But if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a back catalogue to check out…
Rating: 9/10
