The band that ushered in the British neo-prog wave in the 1980s, Marillion has proved itself to be a true survivor. Still going strong in 2008, the band is as ambitious as ever, releasing their latest batch of tunes, HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD, as two separate volumes. Where its sister album, THE HARD SHOULDER, is a more visceral, rocking effort, the first volume, ESSENCE, is a lush, atmospheric affair, somewhat reminiscent of latter-day (post-Roger Waters) Pink Floyd, but with a more contemporary flavor that neatly dodges retro cliches.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 10/06/2017