Scott's Song by Song #83: The Bardic Depths - Some Things are Worth Remembering
Welcome to issue #83 of Scott’s Song By Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here:
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The Bardic Depths are a UK prog band led by multi-instrumentalist/composer Dave Bandana and American Historian Brad Birzer (doing spoken word narratives) . It sprung from an earlier project that the two had entitled Birzer Bandana. They released their eponymous first album in 2020. There were a number of notable guest musicians such as Peter Jones (Camel/Tiger Moth Tales), Tim Gehrt (Streets, Steve Walsh Band), Gareth Cole (Fractal Mirror) and Robin Armstrong (Cosmograf) who contributed to the album. Jones, Gehrt, and Cole are now official members. Birzer is still a primary lyricist, but not listed as a band member. The second album came in 2022 with “Promises of Hope”, while the third album “What We Really Like in Stories’ dropped in 2024. Today, I’ll be checking out the 4th album, “Some Things are Worth Remembering" which will be released this Friday, August 7, 2026. The album came courtesy of Dave Bandana. I receive no additional compensation, and always call it like I hear it. As usual, this is a cold listen.
Here is the line-up:
- Dave Bandana / vocals, keyboards, bass
- Peter Jones / vocals, clarinet, alto saxophone
- Gareth Cole / 12-string, electric & acoustic guitars, vocals
- Tim Gehrt / drums, vocals
Let's jump in!
Track 1 - Islands (8:37)
This begins with a rumbling sound and orchestral synths, joined by a clean guitar. The vocals begin soon after. The opening vocals conclude with the album’s title being quoted. A jaunty woodwind section plays a rhythmic pattern soon joined by drums and bass. Just before the 3 minute point, the tempo increases, and soon after the music becomes more intense. Killer lead guitar from Cole! After things come back down, Jones gives us a sax feature. This section is jazzy, with Cole & Jones trading licks. Bandana provides a moving bass line and synth beds while Gehrt keeps the beat lively. Vocals return after 5 minutes. The keyboard string tones sound like a mellotron. The overall vibe is very dreamy and floaty. Great opening track!
Track 2 - Fallen Leaves (3:03)
This shorter track starts with acoustic guitar and sax. Beautiful wordless harmony vocals join in before long. Just before the one-minute mark the rhythm section joins in. This is a great chill-out track; very calming and peaceful. The playing and singing are wonderful. The production is rich and warm. Nice track!
Track 3 - Arribabok (5:29)
A guitar melody supported by keys starts things off here. Some percussion rhythms join in. The vocals come in sounding intentionally distant with an effect. This has a “world music” feel to it; sort of African. The song slowly evolves as it progresses. The instrumental parts take the bulk of the content here as the vocals have dropped out for much of the middle section. They begin to fade back in during Jones’ sax solo. This reminds me a bit of something Peter Gabriel would do. The vocals take back over with effects still in place at the ending. Super cool track.
Track 4 - October Sun (8:13)
A slow guitar melody supported by bass & keys kicks this one off. Vocals soon join in. Great harmonies just after one minute. The beat kicks in at around 1:50. I like the bass fills. The vocal harmonies are the star here, though; they really shimmer. I like the refrain that begins between 3:30-4:00 – “Let it shine, let it shine, until the sun falls from the sky!” At 5:15, there is an a cappella line, then an instrumental guitar break takes over with a great solo from Cole. A wonderful sax solo from Jones follows. Harmonized guitar lines follow. The rhythm section is keeping it bouncy. This one is going to be an ear worm! Fantastic track! Probably my favorite so far on the album.
Track 5 - From Empty Trees (4:41)
A big, dramatic synth-led intro commences activities here, and it gets even bigger after 15 seconds with a choir-like sound. Beautifully done! At around 30 seconds, we get a funky riff that somehow reminds me of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Saturday Night Special” (never mentioned them in a prog review before!). Following that, though, the synth solo is straight-up Camel influences, really cool! This is all over the place, but in a good way! The funky groove returns for a fusion-esque guitar solo from Cole. This is shaping up to be an awesome instrumental track! I love it; another favorite track contender. Great dynamics!
Track 6 - A View (6:17)
This one starts with a mystical vibe. At about 25 seconds though, a strong 6-8 shuffle takes over. There are some meter shifts as the vocals enter and proceed through the first verse. The mellotron tones remind me of the Moody Blues; as in “The Other Side Of Life” mixed with their 70s mellotron sound. Jones’ sax solo kicks off with a fabulous high note. Cole briefly takes over on guitar at 4:00. I love the vocals around 5:40! Another terrific track!
Track 7 - Harder to See (4:10)
This one is also in 6-8 but has a very different feel from “A View” . I believe Bandana is the lead singer. He sometimes reminds me of John Wetton or even a bit of former Genesis singer Ray Wilson on “Calling All Stations”; I like it! I love the guitar and keyboard lines in the instrumental break. This may be where Jones plays the clarinet. Cool track, very jazzy.
Track 8 - Rewind (9:21)
This is the longest track on the album so I will call it the closing epic. A gentle piano and acoustic 12-string support the vocals as the song begins. Wonderful harmonies enter at about 35 seconds. The lyrics wish that the narrator could “rewind his brain”. This reminds me a little of Spock’s Beard’s “June” from a vocal standpoint. Nice guitar solo from Cole after the 3-minute mark. I like the call and response vocal section following the instrumental break. The music completely changes at around the 5 minute point. It becomes dreamy and floaty. Flute is not listed for Jones, but I believe he is playing it here. There are many layers to the soundscape here. Vocals begin to re-emerge at around the 8-minute point saying “Rewind” in harmony. This is a very mellow, ethereal ending to this wonderful album.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
Wow, 2026! What a year in prog. Here’s another one that should be in the conversation as one of the finest prog albums in 2026. The production is impeccable, and the arrangements are beautiful. This is more on the mellow, pastoral side of prog, but it still has some rocking moments. I highly recommend to fans of Camel, and The Moody Blues. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Prog On!
Scott
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Links for listening/buying:
There is a video for the first half of the song “Rewind” here:
https://youtu.be/hU0P5ALBmjc?list=RDhU0P5ALBmjc
Video of “From Empty Trees”
https://youtu.be/ORHprQHeJbs?list=RDORHprQHeJbs
There is an album teaser here:
It is available for pre-sale on The Band Wagon:
And here:
https://fairsound.com/product/the-bardic-depths-some-things-are-worth-remembering/
While it is not yet available on Bandcamp, Google says it will be on August 7:
https://thebardicdepths.bandcamp.com/music
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