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Your Rating: 8.7

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Year Released
2017
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Novum (2017)—Procol Harum’s final studio album—is a crisp, warm, and surprisingly blues-infused late-career statement that trades the band's classic, dense orchestral-prog arrangements for a leaner, live-in-the-studio British blues-rock sound. Produced by Dennis Weinreich, the production leans heavily on organic, earthy textures with clear separation, placing Gary Brooker’s soulful, gravelly vocals right up front alongside his signature, liquid Hammond organ and piano chords. Lacking the cryptic lyricism of long-time lyricist Keith Reid, the album leans into straightforward, groove-oriented songwriting anchored by Geoff Whitehorn’s fiery, David Gilmour-adjacent blues-rock guitar leads and a tight, punchy rhythm section, seamlessly blending nostalgic '70s art-rock sensibilities with a modern, polished audiophile clarity.