Spooky Action at a Distance by Pattern-Seeking Animals

Spooky Action at a Distance dei Pattern-Seeking Animals Released in 2023, here in a version that also includes a bonus track and two tracks from the 2022 Live at ProgStock concert.

We talked about this band in the post dedicated to their beautiful album  Friend of All Creatures del 2025. 

The Pattern-Seeking Animals are a supergroup consisting of Ted Leonard, Dave Meros and Jimmy Keegan all from the Spock's Beard with John Boegehold (who collaborated with them), a band often described as an offshoot of Spock's Beard.

Their melodies, even on this album, are intricate and highly engaging, which is their signature style.

Ted Leonard's voice and guitar are crucial to this band's sound. Dave Meros on bass is extraordinary, creating a spectacular rhythm section with Jimmy Keegan on drums. John Boegenhold is a master on keyboards, and the melodies he unleashes are simply magnificent.

- The first track, "The Man Made of Stone," is beautiful. It's a perfect song with its fast-paced rhythm; the synth, cello, and mellotron are exceptional, and Leonard's guitar solo helps make this an extraordinary piece.

- "Window to the World" is remarkable for its deep bass.

- "What Awaits Me?" It's a beautiful song with a dark atmosphere, incredible keyboard work, beautiful vocals, and another spectacular guitar solo by Ted over a great Mellotron backing track.

- "He Once Was" is a song over 12 minutes long with numerous variations and a beautiful instrumental section featuring a great bass, synthesizers, and excellent guitar riffs. Leonard also delivers a great performance, and there's a beautiful saxophone solo.

- "Underneath the Orphan Moon" is a short ballad with beautiful orchestrations and a very powerful and passionate voice.

- "Clouds That Never Rain" is a very captivating song with engaging, unexpected turns that appear suddenly, very catchy.

- "Bulletproof" features a great electric piano and Mellotron with a beautiful, dramatic chorus.

- Somewhere North of Nowhere is another epic song whose strengths are complexity and melody. Everything shines, as usual the vocals, but the real stars here, in my opinion, are the magnificent Keegan and his drums.

- Summoned From Afar is another masterpiece, with mandolin, the splendid mellotron, and beautiful backing vocals.

- Love is Still the Night closes the album, a beautiful romantic song, with a masterful vocal performance and a beautiful melody.

The Bonus Tracks in this version:

- There Goes My Baby, a delightful, light-hearted song but played with great mastery, with a wonderful melody and superb vocals and backing vocals. Beautiful!

- Orphans of the Universe from Live at ProgStock 2022: a wonderful live performance, intense keyboards and excellent guitar. The imposing central instrumental section is beautiful. Top-notch keyboards and synths. And what a bass! They range from "classic" prog to their own sophisticated sound. The vocals are beautiful, without a hint of hesitation. It's about 10 minutes long, truly magnificent.

- Elegant Vampires from Live at ProgStock 2022: a beautiful, rhythmic and passionate piece, with an interesting instrumental section, excellent counter-tempos that build to a very catchy melody. Beautiful!

Overall, a very engaging album, with the band's usual refinement. I like to recall the words of John Boegehold, who gave a magnificent description of their style: "producing progressive and complex music, while maintaining immediacy and melody."

Well, this album is exactly like that. And I recommend it!

Tracks

1. The Man Made of Stone (7:01)

2. Window to the World (3:58)

3. What Waitz Me? (5:22)

4. He Once Was (12:17)

5. Underneath the Orphan Moon (3:53)

6. Clouds That Never Rain (5:17)

7. Bulletproof (4:17)

8. Somewhere North of Nowhere (6:46)

9. Summoned from Afar (7:33)

10. Love Is Still the Light (4:42)

Duration 61:06

Bonus Tracks

11. There Goes My Baby (Bonus track) (3:50)

12. Orphans of the Universe (Live at ProgStock 2022) (10:39)

13. Elegant Vampires (Live at ProgStock 2022) (4:27)

Duration 18:56

Line-Up

- Ted Leonard - lead vocals, guitar

- John Boegehold - synth, programming, Mellotron, guitars, electric sitar, charango, ronrocco, vihuela, mandocello, autoharp, string arrangements, and vocals

- Dave Meros - bass

- Jimmy Keegan - drums, percussion, and vocals