Successfully infusing melodic rock nostalgia and concept-album ambition, Skywatcher is a stirring release from Greek band Floating Worlds. The ten songs pack an emotional punch, chronicling a narrative retold by the journalist Paul Rogers — and a particularly harrowing case, involving the disappearance of nine-year-old boy Winston Smith. Winston finds himself on a galactic adventure, brought upon by his desire to reunite with his lost father on a distant star, by observing the sky. Skywatcher deftly maintains this conceptual drive within an impassioned rock exploration.
“Strange Kid” commences the album with buzzing synth invigoration and suave vocal charisma. Funky guitars and Michael Jackson-esque vocal excitement drive into an introduction “My name is Paul Rogers.” The narrator reveals a particularly unforgettable case, about a “strange kid in a strange world.” The story of Winston Smith and his disappearance sets into motion, one that marks an intergalactic adventure with paternal yearning. A fervent guitar solo approaches the two-minute turn with contagious immersion, then traversing into a serene “where are you?” questioning — invoking the theatrical conceptual rock appeal of The Who in that sequence.
While “Strange Kid” kicks off the album in thrilling form, “Starlight Kid” keeps the energy moving with its dynamic range of synths — twinkling and buzzing intensity alike. The track emphasizes Winston’s desire to “bring his father back,” — and how he uses the sights of the stars above, with his handy telescope, to ignite that motivation. “Late at night, this telescope beaming at the sky,” the stirring vocals let out, as talkative guitar work drives into the catchy “bring his father back,” emotive effervescence. Skywatcher struts a strong opening one-two punch that firmly establishes the concept’s narrative within fun, melodic rock productions.
“Nostalgic Alleys” conveys an introspective sound with aesthetical shades of Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore in the vocal delivery, though with a more guitar-forward captivation that takes hold into the final minute. “Yearning for time to pass, learning to face the past,” the vocals let out, emitting a hope for a better future whilst acknowledging previous tumult. “Hello from out There” brings listeners back to an anthemic rock territory with an ’80s throwback spirit. The title-touting beckoning lends a robotic-touched effect, sounding like an otherworldly calling-out to someone like Winston, striving for discovery. “Could this be our first contact, from another planet?” the lyrics further the sense of intrigue.
The breakthrough in space communication on “Hello from Out There” commences an engaging sequence of concluding tracks. “Lost” intertwines stutter-y effects with bouncy rhythmic clanging, moving into a solemn vocal presence with lyrical descriptions of a lonesome, dark planet. The ardent “Skywatcher” re-injects the celebratory qualities of watching the skies and scouring for life, while album finale “Extraterrestrial” fully embraces space-set eeriness in the haunting synth pads and concluding guitar power; its instrumental production unveils a tour-de-force emotiveness that wraps up Skywatcher in fully satiating, cathartic form.
