You know sometimes you’ll hear about a new collaboration, and you automatically know it’ll be great? That’s how I felt about the team behind Whispers of Granite. The debut Liquid Stone is releasing on July 4th, and it is truly a beautiful album.
Whispers of Granite is a new project from Andreas Hack, whom you should know from Frequency Drift and Haven of Echoes. He teamed up with vocalist Trude Eidtang, formerly of White Willow and lead singer for When Mary. Andreas always brings great musicians with him, this time including Wolfgang Ostermann on drums, Michael Fischer on bass, Marek Arnold on sax, and Paul Sadler on a couple guitar solos.
Have you been wanting a new Frequency Drift album as much as I have? I hope so, because Liquid Stone is quite like a continuation of that sound. It is progressive rock on the surface, but its components include art pop, a dash of folk, and some alternative edges. Yes, it’s missing the signature violin of Frequency Drift, but Andreas really makes up for that with a stunning keyboard/synth performance that comes in all shades and textures. Seriously, the melodies and solos he produces here are outstanding.
I shouldn’t detract from Trude’s performance, though. I’m a big fan of When Mary’s Tainted (2017), and so I knew her voice was a perfect match for Andreas’ style. She has a unique voice, instantly recognizable, and one that becomes more charming the more you hear it.
Liquid Stone has eight tracks and they are all great. I love the opening two tracks, the singles “Spirals” and “Hiding in Plain Sight”. The former launches immediately into its extremely catchy chorus, and it never loses momentum. The latter is even better with its itching little rhythm that will bury itself deeply within your brain; I love the fantastic synth solo in the second half and the head-bobbing beat of the drums. “Endlessly” follows and is something closer to a ballad, featuring mostly just Trude and atmospheric piano. But it does give us more eventually, with a subtle yet powerful guitar solo and emotional finish. The first half of the album ends with “Fleet City”, a shorter track with fun lyrics and some good energy.
The second half of the record opens with one of my favorites, “Ocean Maker”. I was instantly attracted to its spacious melodies and slow-brewing epic sound, and Marek Arnold’s astonishing saxophone really sealed the deal. I really love the following track, “One More Reason”, for how candid and authentic it feels. Trude’s vocals really shine here.
The last two tracks are both terrific. “Age of Seven” is heavy on the electronic sound, both in its catchy central melody and in its ambience. I love its downtempo vocal hook. The closer “Silver Green” has a nice storytelling vibe to it, and its really gets going with the guitar fireworks in the last few minutes; I like the foggy atmosphere as it ends the album.
All in all, Whispers of Granite is a strong new project. I love the similarities with Frequency Drift, but it does have its own sound, too, especially because of Trude’s vocals. I’m finding this album is good on first listen, but subsequent listens almost make it an obsession. I hope prog rock fans will give it a try.
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Find Whispers of Granite online:
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The PROG Mind 
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