IQ – Frequency (2009)

It isn't hard to find listeners who aren't huge fans of progressive rock on the whole but are passionate followers of certain prog bands -- and if you ask them why they enjoy Pink Floyd, Yes, or the Moody Blues so much more than they enjoy other prog bands, they'll tell you that their favorites have mastered something that the others haven't: great hooks. And without a doubt, hooks are a major reason why some of IQ's most devoted followers are people who don't necessarily buy a lot of prog rock CDs. Hooks are certainly a major plus on Frequency, which has an immediacy that a lot of prog recordings lack. This 2009 release is quite listenable, and the influences that have served IQ well in the past (including Yes, Pink Floyd, and pre-1980s Genesis) continue to serve them well on Frequency. This is, for the most part, a very moody album, but it is also very accessible -- and appealing tracks such as "One Fatal Mistake," "Closer," "Stronger Than Friction," and "Life Support" are easy to absorb even if one isn't a seasoned prog rock listener. It should be noted that IQ have had their share of personnel changes along the way; on Frequency, their 2009 lineup consists of Peter Nicholls on lead vocals, Michael Holmes on guitar, John Jowitt on bass, Mark Westworth on keyboards, and Andy Edwards on drums. Thankfully, IQ's many personnel changes haven't affected them in a negative way -- and even though Frequency isn't among their essential albums, it illustrates IQ's ability to continue providing memorable and very digestible progressive rock 28 years after the band's formation.