“Last Chance Motel” is a strange and ironic take on the murder ballad that recalls the musical structure of early Elton John and Bernie Taupin tunes. Its bridge and chorus are classic Brooker (think Home and Grand Hotel). Opener “I Told on You” is a forceful prog rocker about professional jealousy, bitterness, and retribution. There is only one overtly “classical” moment here, and it’s a send up - there’s a direct quote from Pachelbel’s Canon as a brief intro to the wonderful “Sunday Morning.” Some truly perverse lyric moments are expertly crafted into well-composed songs (would we expect anything less?). What’s on offer here is the most rocking sound Procol Harum have delivered since Broken Barricades. Brooker enlisted lyricist Pete Brown - known for his work with Cream and Graham Bond - and in an unusual move, brought the entire band into the songwriting process. This is the sound of a working band, not a tired reunion project. Novum is a worthy 50th anniversary offering (though it’s not, as Brooker claims, Procol’s finest). This version has been together for a decade. They recruited organist Josh Phillips and drummer Greg Dunn. Brooker still had guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and bassist Matt Pegg. Organist Matthew Fisher and drummer Mark Brzezicki left shortly thereafter. Their last, 2003’s The Well’s on Fire, marked the end of the decades-long writing partnership between Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid. Novum is their first new studio album in 14 years.
Fifty years after “Whiter Shade of Pale” introduced the concept of progressive rock, Procol Harum roll on, even with singer and pianist Gary Brooker as the only remaining original member.
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