The Enid: Dust

Lysergic landmark in admirably subversive career.

The Enid Dust album cover

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To describe Dust – the final part of The Enid’s Journey’s End trilogy – as epic is to undersell it considerably.

Opening big and then ballooning, it’s a fusion of bombastic balladeering, choral quirkiness, prog peculiarity, widdly guitars and the kind of musical monoliths David Essex’s character might have essayed in Stardust. It’s entirely captivating and somewhat mind-blowing.

Founder Robert John Godfrey – soon to retire and leave his baby safe in the hands of Joe Payne’s stellar vocals and the current crew – reckons it tells the story of “the band’s generational voyage from the past into the future”. There are also themes of secular and sacred, wealth and poverty, the environment and what will survive of us – love.

The sheer chutzpah will shower you first. Arguably this ever-evolving, eclectic ensemble’s journey reaches its zenith here, as from Born In The Fire to Heavy Hearts it leaves the cobwebs reeling.

Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts has written about music, films, and art for innumerable outlets. His new book The Velvet Underground is out April 4. He has also published books on Lou Reed, Elton John, the Gothic arts, Talk Talk, Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Abba, Tom Jones and others. Among his interviewees over the years have been David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Bryan Ferry, Al Green, Tom Waits & Lou Reed. Born in North Wales, he lives in London.