Spock's Beard are a band who are in a continual state of evolution, as is always the case with genuinely creative musicians. And their new album, 'Noise Floor', fits perfectly into this process. “We are always about evolution, not revolution. But what we have done this time is make the songs more melodic,” believes vocalist/guitarist Ted Leonard. “We still love our crazy prog, but now appreciate how important it is to grab people's attention early on.” “A lot of our songs on the previous album (2015’s 'The Oblivion Particle') took a little time to make an impact on people,” adds keyboard player Ryo Okumoto. “You had to really listen to them. But this time around, we have crafted music that is more immediate.”  As with all Spock's Beard songs, most of the new album was written by the individual members, and then brought to the rest of the band as high quality demos. “We all do this type of thing in our home studios,” adds Leonard. “So, by the time they reach the stage where the entire band get to judge them, they are really developed, and therefore everyone can make a reasoned judgement.” Much of what you will listen to here is very much the product of fresh inspiration from the Californian band. “What we do is just gradually let the compositions percolate over a period of time,” explains Okumoto.

“There is one song, 'To Breathe Another Day', where we took a part from a different song, because it worked a lot better in the new arrangement. That's what we do. Nothing is rigid, and  everything's flexible. We delight in finding new ways to make things work.” One key change on this album sees the return of drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who originally left in 2011. But both Leonard and Okumoto play down D'Virgilio's long term role. “Well, we are very happy to have Nick back with us for the album,” says Leonard. “But right now, it does not go any further.” “We would love Nick to be able to play live with us again,” adds Okumoto. “The trouble is that he has so many other commitments with his time that I doubt he can fit us into his schedule when it comes to touring. But even if we end up finding another live drummer, then we hope Nick will still be able to go into the studio with us in the future.” There are also two violinists, a cello player, a viola player and an English horn featured on the album, thereby giving the sound a slightly more evocative and persuasive twist. So, what can we expect from the new album? Leonard has little doubt about the best way to describe it. “If you enjoy what we have been doing on the past two albums, then I am sure there will be much that will appeal.