4.5 Stars; Near-Masterpieces
(Ratings 89.99 to 87.0)
26. YUGEN Death by Water
Francesco Zago's avant baby puts together another amazing collection of experimental/exploratory songs--their first studio album since 2010's wonderful masterpiece, Iridule. Percussionists and a percussion-mindset seem to rule the day with YUGEN work, and Death by Water is no exception. The ubiquitous JACOPO COSTA (NOT A GOOD SIGN, THE LOOMINGS) and Giuseppe A. OLIVINI practically steal the show--though the wind section, piano of Marcus FASOLI (NICHELODEON, NOT A GOOD SIGN, EMPTY DAYS), and rhythm section of Stefano FERRIAN on 8-strings guitar & Chapman stick, Francesco Zago on electric & acoustic guitars, Alessandro CASSANI on electric bass and Matteo LORITO on double bass are the glue that hold it all together.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stefano Ferrian / 8-strings guitar, tenor & alto sax, Chapman stick
- Francesco Zago / electric & acoustic guitars, 12-strings guitar, mellotron
- Dalila Kayros / vocals
- Elaine Di Falco / vocals
- Alessandro Cassani / electric bass
- Matteo Lorito / double bass
- Paolo "Ske" Botta / electric pianos, Hammond organ, ARP
- Maurizio Fasoli / piano
- Michele Salgarello / drums
- Carmelo Miceli / drums
- Jacopo Costa / vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, zymbalon
- Giuseppe A. Olivini / percussions, theremin, toy piano
- Valerio Cipollone / soprano, piccolo & bass clarinet, soprano sax
- Peter Schmid / tubax, contrabass clarinet, contrabass flute
- Fedele Stucchi / trombone, euphonium
- Taiko Lecco / taiko drums ensemble
Guests:
- Simone Quatrana / piano (#07, 09)
- Massimo Dolce / electric guitar (#03)
- Dave Willey / portuguese guitar (#10), accordion (#05)
1. "Clinically Correct" (7:48) This song, from its opening notes, makes me laugh. It is pure Yugen as only Yugen does it. Each musician contributes their individual lines as if to a conversation, a heated debate, a street brawl. Even the 'heavier' stuff that begins at 1:13 serve to move the development of the song along quite nicely. A relatively calm and predictable electric piano based section of about 90 seconds occurs in the third and fourth minutes, but then Dalila KAYROS begins to spit out rapid fire some odd vocal ejaculations (in Japanese?) Wow! That was unexpected! At 5:04 Dalila and Paolo "Ske" BOTTA team up to create a freaky space melody using voice and synthesizer, respectively! Awesome. More! The 'alien' conversation that occurs soon after is so funny--coupled with Dalila's machine gun spray of Japanese-sounding syllables. This is amazing! So creative! I don't know how these guys could/would ever replicate this in concert--it's seems so free form and diverse! They throw every thing at you but the kitchen sink!
The final minute or two fall under the sway of the heavier rhythm section while all of the incidentalists throw in their epithets over, under, and in between the flow of the rhythmists. (13.5/15)
2. "Undermurmur" (1:31) is a jazzy excursion in which playful piano, double bass and drum interact before horn hits and synth whizzes are added to the mix. Fun. A song that could be developed further. (4.5/5)
3. "Death by Water" (5:06) is an awesome jazz fusion exhibition--like a PAUL WERTICO-led PAT METHENY GROUP song. I don't which drummer is working this song, Michele Salgarello or Carmelo Miceli, but they do an incredible job with the cymbal play. (10/10) 4. "Ten Years After" (1:12) (4/5) is a brief foray into djenty-heavy metal territory that gradually fades into:
5. "As It Was" (4:58) one of the two showcase pieces for the always precious Fancesco ZAGO-Elaine Di FALCO collaborations. I do think, however, that Elaine's voice is mixed just a little too loudly into the mix on this song. Her sonorous meanderings are a little too dominant, making it sound as if she is above or separate from the band and music. I'd like to hear this song in which her vocal line is mixed in, embedded within, the beautiful, intricately rendered, musical weave. It's still a great song--with an odd vocal melody that stays with you for days. It just . . . could be better! (9/10)
6. "Studio 9" (2:36) is an odd little jazzy piece that sounds like a warmup exercise for a big band lineup from a 1960s jazz combo--or a Broadway pit orchestra warming up at the end of intermission. Fun and funny, loose and impromptu. (4.5/5)
7. "As a Matter of Breath" (9:27) uses the more familiar YUGEN style of experimental jazz "un-forms." Though the drummer keeps a fairly steady rock backbeat for the rest of the instrumental dancers to tip-toe and riff and play over, the song is never what you would call 'danceable' as in social club dancing. These are for professionals! Piano--both grand and toy--have a grand time playing with time and interjection as does synthesizer, while horns play some of the more straightforward riffs--repeatedly.
After a choir 'hit' at 5:26, the song takes a turn into a more eerie ambient or soundtrack of the macabre section. At times feeling as if the A Trick of the Tail GENESIS lineup were ready to burst out into the finale of "Los Endos," this song plays out with tremendous pent-up energy, waiting to burst forth, but then, instead, peters out and fades. Weird. But brilliant! (18/20)
8. "Drum'n'stick" (2:12) is little drum and Chapman stick duet with all kinds of ghostly spacey sounds parading around in the wings. Really quite cool! (4.5/5)
9. "Der Schnee" (6:05) is the album's real oddity in that vocalist Dalila KAYROS intersperses the music with all kinds of abrasive and aggressive vocalizations much like a combination of BJÖRK, NINA HAGEN and fellow AltrOck stablemate FACTOR BURZACO's lead singer, Carolina RESTUCCIA.
The song opens with an eerie space synth weave over which lower register brass play long notes. Dalila begins throwing her voice around in the second minute. The final 90 seconds are quite ambient, even peaceful--in a 2001: A Space Odyssey-kind of way. Interesting--to say the least! (8/10)
10. "A House" (1:25) opens with acoustic guitars being picked in folk song style as Elaine Di FALCO sings front and center and etheral male and female vocalists whisp and willow in the wings. Quite beautiful! This is one I'd love to hear go on for five or six minutes: the vocal arrangements alone are beautiful and interesting in a Josquin des Pres kind of way. (5/5)
The most curious thing about Yugen productions, to me, is that they are truly the brain-child of visionary FRANCESCO ZAGO, and Francesco is primarily a guitarist, and yet we rarely get to see/hear the guitar showcased! Is that selflessness or is it more attributable to the reality that Francesco is truly more of a conductor than an instrumentalist? Still, there is no doubt that when Francesco and his Yugen-mates get together to create music, they are fearless. On Death by Water the listener is treated to artistic expression of the highest order: modern in that dissonant, discordant way, yes, but still highly engaging and interesting. I find it mesmerizing.
90.0 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
27. THENCE We Are Left With A Song
The mystery of this album--and the reason it has taken me so long to write my review of it (even though I've been loving its songs for several months)--lies in its categorization. Is it Neo Prog like MYSTERY, EDISON'S CHILDREN, Thomas Thelen's T, RIVERSEA, or NINE STONES CLOSE, is it Crossover like TONY PATTERSON, Heavy Prog like KARNIVOOL and VOTUM, Experimental/Post Metal like ANATHEMA and STARE AT THE CLOUDS, Space Rock/Psychedelic like NOSOUND and MEMORIES OF MACHINES, or perhaps even Post Rock? Such is the enigmatic sound that these two guys--yes two guys--create. I think the "Experimental/Post Metal" subgenre that they have been assigned at ProgArchives is the best fit as they really do sound like ANATHEMA and STARE AT THE CLOUDS.
Line-up/Musicians:
Juha Sirkkiä - Vocals, keys, guitar, bass
Erno Räsänen - Drums, percussions
1. "I Burn The Day, The Ghost" (8:18) sounds like the music that would be produced if two of the 21st Century's best bands came together to produce a song, Australia's KARNIVOOL with Sweden's BROTHER APE. The "strings" are mixed a little too loudly, in my opinion, and the voice a little too buried into the mix. Otherwise, a great song. (19/20)
2. "No One, Anyone, Be Someone" (6:06) sounds as if NoSOUND's Giancarlo Erra were singing for MYSTERY or KARNIVOOL. Like the previous song, I feel that the 'strings'--as wonderful as they are (great, lush arrangements)--are mixed too loudly and the vocal too far into the mix--where it is getting buried--which is partly due to volume levels and part to the distortion effect through which it is run. (8.25/10)
3. "Abundance" (6:59) opens with electric guitar strumming what sounds like the same three chord progression that makes up the foundation of one of the COCTEAU TWINS' greatest songs of all time, "Pink Orange Red." A wonderful, heavily-sustained electric guitar lead covers the second half of this two-minute 'intro' section. From there on out the song has a feel of with a great chunky bass, solid drum foundation, and unobtrusive background synth washes over which Juha sings in another heavily-treated vocal (One that is, happily, not drowned out by the collective wall of sound created by the other instrument). The song could easily be mistaken for a great song from RIVERSEA, MYSTERY or TONY PATTERSON. (14.25/15)
4. "It Is Truth That Liberates" (4:24) opens with a little (as it turns out, foundational) computer synthesizer sequence that makes one expect the possibility of a PAUL OAKENFOLD/Ibiza-like electronic trance song. But, no, a heavy prog rock song forms over the top. Great keyboard 'strings' arrangements and a pretty good chord progression and vocal make this a solid and powerful song--though it could use a little more variation and development. (8.75/10)
5. "Pursue" (10:46) sounds like an odd, soft-but angular KING CRIMSON song--especially with the screaming, infinite-sustained, ROBERT FRIPP-like lead guitar throughout. The development, chord structure and vocal/vocal melody are all lacking a bit. Already before the song is half over the music has built, crescendoed and decayed into a soft, spacey piano and synth interlude. A DICK PARRY-like soling saxophone joins in for the seventh minute for a nice two-minute solo while the band joins in again at the seven minute mark. At 8:00 lead guitar takes over for the sax (for an awesome GIANCARLO ERRA-like solo) as the music continues beneath in a gorgeous ANATHEMA way. Great second half . . . can't make up for an average first half. (18/20)
6. "Oars In Our Hands" (7:43) a beautiful Post Metal synthesizer 'strings' arrangement permeates and founds this song and the second half is truly remarkable, but the opening half is less than winning, less than engaging. (13.5/15)
7. "Life Will Get You Eventually" (7:53) the same Post Metal sound and form with the usual gorgeous synthesizer 'strings' arrangements. One of the album's better vocals and some very strong bass and drums supporting the wall of sound up top. Perhaps a bit monotonous (especially after the previous six songs). (12.75/15)
Very solid drumming, very mature and accomplished synthesizer 'strings' work throughout and some pretty good guitar play, as well. The vocals could be better (or less treated) and the often-underdeveloped or one dimensional song constructions could be improved upon, but these guys definitely have a strong future ahead of them. A band to watch!!!
90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and an excellent addition to any progressive rock music lover's album collection.
34. THE ARBORIST Acrylic Road
The Columbia Gorge has certainly infused Carson Schnackenberg with some magic; this is an amazingly gorgeous album. With a shoegaze sound base, Acrylic Road sounds like a kind of cross between Neige's ALCEST (without the growls, instead with the vocal styling of Swede Fredrik Larsson) and France's KLONE.
1. "The Fifth Acre" (5:15) is an instant classic, shoegaze with excellent vocal and upbeat sound and pacing. One of the best songs of 2016!! (10/10)
2. "Acrylic Road" (4:59) opens with heavily treated almost oriental-sounding piano chord progressions providing the song foundation before Carson's airy vocal joins in. The song begins to have a kind of STEVEN WILSON feel to it. Later piano soloing, COCTEAU TWINS' Simon Raymonde-like rolling bass play, and brief guitar soli, all mixed into a frequently morphing, fluctuating flow make for a very pleasing listening experience. (9/10)
3. "The Lost Continent of Mu: Part 1" (3:19) features an instrument sounding like the Japanese shamisen in the lead role for the first two minutes as the orchestral sounds eventually and gradually swell around. The final minute redirect toward a kind of harp-supported orchestral build and crescendo. (9/10)
4. "The Lost Continent of Mu: Part 2" (8:01) nice post rock structure and sound--at times quite similar to Japanese band MONO. (12/15)
5. "Aphonic" (7:44) is built on a simple Harold Budd-like treated piano chord sequence. It starts quietly but then breaks through at the 2:30 mark to make its impact. The problem comes with trying to sustain interesting music over the course of a long 7:44. (13.5/15)
6. "The Valley Beneath the Waves" (featuring Yala Rhone) (9:58) starts off kind of generic neoclassical--not unlike the piano-based work of Taiwan's Jesy Chiang's CICADA project--but the airy vocal takes it in a whole different direction--kind of OWL CITY-like. At 1:27 it begins to slowly build in variations and intensity. Nice work from co-vocalist (Yala Rhone?) in the third minute. Nice lead guitar work in the seventh and eighth minutes and then a gorgeous ambient outro over the the final two and a half minutes. (18/20)
It is difficult to find flaw with this album. I'm not sure if it's "proggy" enough, but it is. On a par with and above--way above--many other one man self-produced projects.
89.375 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
35. COLIN TENCH PROJECT Hair in a G-String (Unfinished But Sweet)
Colin is feeling nostalgic!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Colin Tench / acccoustic & electric guitars, piano, synthesiser (3,7,9), drum programming (3), percussion (6,10,12), vocals (10), arranger & producer
With:
- Peter Jones / lead vocals (1,6,7,14), clarinet (6), saxophone (1), piano & voice actor (15)
- Phil Naro / lead vocals (2,3,12,14)
- David Knokey / rhythm guitar (13)
- Steve Gresswell / keyboards (1,3,7), piano & orchestration & percussion (1)
- Marco Chiappini / piano (2), keyboards (10)
- Stef Flaming / keyboards (3), bass (13), percussion (1)
- Pasi Koivu / synthesisers & organ (8)
- Kelly Brown / keyboards (12)
- Ian Beabout / flute (9)
- Petri Lindström / bass guitar (1,3,5-8,12,14)
- Gary Derrick / bass guitar (2,10)
- Stephen Speelman / stunt bass (3)
- Angelo Hulshout / fretless bass (7,14)
- Victor Tassone / drums (2,10), percussion (10,12)
- Oliver Rusing / drums (3,7), percussion (3)
- Jay Theodore McGurrin / drums (6,14)
- Robert Wolff / drums (8)
- Gary Hodges / drums (12)
- Sean Filkin / tambourine (8)
- Gordon "Gordo" Bennett / orchestration (strings, horns, basses) (5-8,14), triangle (14), full orchestra arrangements & orchestration (16)
- Tina Sibley / violin (12)
- Kirsten Weingartner / violin (12)
- Ned Horner / violin (12)
- Aleksis Zarins / violin (12)
36. GADI CAPLAN Morning Sun
Eclectic fare from world traveller guitarist Gadi Caplan. Some songs are folk, some world (Indian), some pop, some jazz, a little infusion of Canterbury style, a lot of instrumental, several with pleasant vocals. A very pleasant journey. I found myself thinking of Roy Harper's Stormcock throughout my first listen to this material. Successive listens have slowly revealed the surprisingly wide diversitty in sounds and styles covered on this album--though throughout Gadi's electric guitar sound choices are always unusually clear, crisp, and concise--kind of like those of Roy Buchanan or Blue Öyster Cult's "Buck Dharma" Roeser in the 1970s.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Gadi Caplan / Guitars
With:
- Danny Abowd /
1. "Hemavati" (3:42) is a wonderful horn-backed soft rock instrumental with beautiful, sensitive guitar play performing the lead in a way that is, to me, reminiscent of blues legend Roy Buchanan. (9/10)
2. "Island" (5:33) is a gorgeous little folk song in the style of 1990s STEVEN WILSON/ PORCUPINE TREE--one that makes you appreciate more the genius of SW in that time period. (9/10)
3. "Good Afternoon" (2:25) the only song on the album that I don't absolutely love, it's more in an acoustic blues style though quite reminiscent of some of HARRY NILSSON's songs, it continues to dsiplay Gadi's extraordinary skills in vocal arrangements, lead guitar play, and production. (7/10)
4. "Vivadi Swara" (5:39) opens as a pure ROY BUCHANAN song with acoustic guitar and synth providing sparse background support for the sensitive lead electric guitar work. At 1:38 the song opens up with strummed acoustic guitar, full band support and Gadi's whispery, jazzy lead vocal. I hear a little George Harrison in this one. Such stellar songwriting and production! A true gem! (9/10)
5. "Morning Sun" (4:14) a sparsely constructed folk song that truly feels like it came out of the mucis catalog of 1970s HARRY NILSSON or the introspective side of ROBERT WYATT or JEFF BUCKLEY. Extraordinary and beautiful! I love the wooden flute play, too. (10/10)
6. "La Morena" (5:46) opens gently but with vocals joining in almost immediately. The vocals are very beautifully executed--quite like Coldplay's CHRIS MARTIN. I love the BEATLES-like contribution of the violin and Gadi's finishing vocalizations. (9/10)
7. "The Other Other Side" (5:14) from my very first listen this song has been my favorite. A bit more dynamic and electric than the previous six songs, this one also has a little more diversity in way the accompanying instruments are presented. Sounding slightly PINK FLOYD-ish, slightly Hawaiian, though mostly Harry NILSSON and STEVEN WILSON-ish, this one has the gift of an extraordinary vocal and an awesome bluesy guitar solo in the final minutes. (10/10)
8. "Lili's Day, Pt. 1" (2:49) opens with quite an different, synth-dominated trip hoppy sound and feel--here bringing to mind some of the work of some of the early Post Rock bands (like Tortoise and Bark Psychosis). Great groove! (10/10)
9. "Lili's Day, Pt. 2" (2:28) continues the Post Rock sound with its great guitar weave while adding a Dick Parry-like breathy sax to take the lead. (9/10)
10. "Lili's Day, Pt. 3" (1:50) sees a shift in the music starting with the eery militaristic drumming, minor chord synths, and more sustain-effected guitar lead. (8/10)
11. "Lili's Day, Pt. 4" (2:37) shifts into a more straight rock mellow outflow with the violin and strings synths taking the dominant lead in presenting the melodies. (8/10)
89.09 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This is a type of clear, clean, simply constructed song production I wish there was more of in this day and age. Beautiful. Do check it out: Highly recommended.
37. AISLES Hawaii
This true 21st Century band releases its fourth studio album: a double album conveying a rather dour and emotional perception of the chaotic, slow demise of our planet, our species, the band's home country of Chile, as well as for the band and perhaps some of the individual members of the band (especially the Vergara brothers).
Line-up / Musicians:
- Sebastian Vergara / vocals
- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars
- German Vergara / guitars
- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards
- Daniel Baird-Kerr / bass
- Felipe Candia / drums
Voice actors on "Club Hawaii":
- Matthew Baxter / Newcomer
- Sebastián Vergara / Club Regular 1 (spoken & sung)
- Germán Vergara / Club Regular 2
- Rebecca Bell / Announcer
- Sebastián Vergara / Steward
1. "The Poet Part I: Dusk" (10:06) a solid construct--complete with the band's now familiar impeccably-woven sophisticated multi-layered instrumental construction. I'm not so fond of the hard-drivin' straight-forward rock rhythm choices nor the multi-voice approach to lead vocals. (17.5/20)
2. "The Poet Part II: New World" (4:18) gorgeous melodies created by Sebastian Vergara over this surprisingly simple (but adequate) song construct. Great drumming. Not sure Daniel Baird-Kerr's bass playing style is the best fit for the band. Not the most polished or best engineered song the band has produced, but it's still a winner. (9/10)
3. "Year Zero" (4:36) nice dreamy two-guitar, two channel foundation with solid bass presence and background drumming over which Sebastian sings in a high pitch (and frail-sounding) voice. (Is he sick? Is his [heretofore amazing] voice failing?) Nice Berlin School-like synth patterns takes over in the third minute, at first supplanting the two guitars while Sebastian sits back on the sidelines, later re-introducing the two guitars for a bit before they yield to the piano that finishes the song. Interesting! (8.875/10)
4. "Upside Down" (4:53) piano with bass and delicate drumming open this before guitar strums and big tom-tom hits signal the entry of double-tracked lead vocals (both Sebastian, I believe) mirroring the piano. It's like a stage musical's central aria. It's okay, just not the Aisles we all (in the prog community) want to here Still, the topic expressed in the lyrics is quite heavy and, therefore, appropriately expressed with serious passion. Nice solos from the two guitarists and synth player in the fourth minute. (8.6667/10)
5. "CH-7" (12:33) oddly sparse and simple music behind a rather passionate vocal performance by Sebastian Vergara. Unfortunately, Seb's voice (which is surprisingly lacking any melodic "hooks" to gain our interest and enjoyment) is not enough to carry the song all by itself. (I swear: On this album it feels as if Sebastian's voice is failing--this despite his sincere passion behind many of the messages he's trying to convey.) But carry it he does: for over six minutes--and when the musicians begin to offer more to the soundscape it still feels thin (though it does, admittedly, take a noticeable amount of pressure off of Seb's performance). The musical construct beneath the song's instrumental passage in the ninth minute is rather laughable for its syncopation minimalism--despite everyone's participation. When everybody kind of congeals in the tenth we finally feel a bit of the inviting warmth that I've come to associate the band with. Finally! This section persists into the twelfth minute before taking a turn down a faster-paced downhill street. Unfortunately, the sound palette chosen throughout this song is one that never quite wins me over. Too bad! That instrumental finish was almost worth it. (21.875/25)
6. "Terra" (8:03) nice gently-picked acoustic guitar with fluid fretless bass and sustained volume-controlled pedal steel guitar chords open this one giving the listener quite a relaxing, almost lullaby-like setting. Sebastian's voice enters matching the angelic music with great delicacy, amazing vulnerability. Gorgeous. At the four-minute mark a "sonic boom"-like noise enters--as if signaling the event of some disaster. At 5:40 the vocalist (not Seb?) enters with an almost-operatic tenor, amping up the tension and drama of the song. He is soon joined by Sebastian and multiple other voices in harmonized choral form while the piano and strummed acoustic guitars keep time and the drums, bass, and odd synth noises create a very unsettling chaos--at first in the background, but then usurping the soundscape for the finish. A song of lament and regret? on behalf of the planet? Interesting and unique. This is the kind of creative song creation that keeps me coming back for Aisles music. (13.5/15)
7. "Pale Blue Dot" (9:53) tick-tocking percussion with layers of guitar and synth play over which Sebastian eventually joins--singing his long-held notes in a clear, frail, high register. The music that bridges to a new variation at the three-minute mark is a bit circus-like, while the next motif is more of a standard rock musical experience with Sebastian singing more in front of the mix (with his melodic flow feeling a bit forced and even, at times, incongruous with the musical landscape). Still, there is something not quite right with the musical coherence here: as if the Sebastian and the rest of the band are on two different, diverging paths of musical vision. In the final quarter of the song, there are even several instances in which Seb tries reaching for high power notes and fails to achieve pitch accuracy. (17/20)
8. "Still Alive" (4:46) an emotional radio-friendly song that does a great job at expressing the insecurities and unknowns of daily life in these frail "three-minutes-to-midnight" era of human existence. (9/10)
9. "Nostalgia" (2:11) Perfectly understandable considering the flow and concept behind this album. We all want to feel the security of nostalgic escapes to past memories or past art forms. This song conveys this rather effectively while still expressing the underlying tension (pace) rushing us through a process of escapism. (4.66667/5)
10. "Club Hawaii" (7:22) a very interesting, entertaining, and effective theatric musical play. Quite brilliant--and emotional! (14.5/15)
11. "Falling" (2:11) solo piano over which Sebastian sings in a very high, delicate, almost feminine operatic way. With progress into the song, Seb's vocal definitely expresses more masculinity--though of a very vulnerable emotionality. (4.5/5)
12. "In The Probe" (6:53) interesting and, yes, a bit depressing with a single destabilized guitar occasionally strumming some disharmonic chords and a very sparsely-employed drum machine rhythm track serving as the only two instruments, but, again, it is very effective considering the psychological and emotional goals of the band on this album. I'm very much reminded of the stark soundscapes of TALK TALK's TIM HOLLIS as well as the delicate vocal abilities of Marillion's Steve Hogarth. Very effective. Thank you, Sebastián. You have served commendably. (13.33333/15)
Total time: 77:45
Despite the space of three years since the band's last album, a lot of the music on this album feels forced--as if the idealistic fire that was present in 2009 (on In Sudden Walks) is flickering. However, knowing the cynical space the band was in during its making--about their native Chile, about the planet, about the future of Sebastián's participation with the band--I can better understand (and forgive--as well as learn to grow with) the often sparse, stripped-down soundscapes employed in their musical expressions here.
89.01 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an admirable and quite emotional ride through a band's cynicism and decay. A listening experience that requires attention but then, after several listens, can be truly and fully enjoyed for the artistic expression it is. Highly recommended to any prog lover.
38. DISEN GAGE Snapshots
Awesome instrumental prog from Russia from this band of seasoned veterans and their guests. This is a very eclectic album in that, as the title infers, each and every song incorporates a completely diverse style. It's like you mixed the Eastern European folk-filled good humour of FARM MARKET with the funky side of VESPERO. Oft times one hears music themes that sound quite cinematic, with others riding the pulsating groove of a kind of Jamaican Krautrock ("Memories"), or a purer representative of the Kosmische Musik tradition ("Trip"), while others are flavored with the bounce of folk traditions ("Foolery" and "Me"). Throughout this album the bass play is a standout for its thick and melodic funky-jazzy grooves, while the drums are tight and supportive, and the guitar work skillful and expressive. The contributions of the guests (vibes, synths, saxophone, voice) are notable and helpful (like VESPERO's Arakady Fedotov on spacey synths during "Trip")
Line-up/Musicians:
Konstantin Mochalov: guitar
Nikolai Syrtsev: bass
Eugeny Kudryashov: drums
Sergei Bagin: guitar and synth (1, 2, 7, 8)
With:
Feodor Amirov: synth (1)
Vladimir Rusinov: guitar (3)
Kamille Sharapodinov (The Grand Astoria): guitar (4)
Gini Ruggero: sax & voice (6)
Arkady Fedotov aka Ark Vespero (Vespero): synths (7)
Alexander Kuzovlev: guitar (7)
1. "Me" (5:27) plays as if Carlos Santana or Jeff Beck played on a Russian folk song--at least until the nice little bass solo at 2:40--which then sets up the great explosion into heavier jazz rock territory. Quite fun, creative, and well done. (9/10)
2. "Them" (10:45) is perhaps the most cinema soundtrack-sounding song on the album--even through it's several shifts and turns. Bass play, fuzzy, distorted guitar leads, and xylophone-like keyboard are standouts. (18/20)
3. "Chums" (5:09) opens with a Spaghetti Western distorted guitar riff and sparse drum play. Then solo lead guitar enters presenting a kind of CHET ATKINS sound. The rolling guitar strums at the two-minute mark bridge to an out and out Country-Rock fusion in which two guitars-one clean and Atkins-like and the other dirty and -like--are kind of loosely dueling while also masterfully supporting one another. Great song! Some nice, familiar melodies in that second half. (9/10)
4. "Memories" (5:15) displays a bit of a Rastafarian side to the band--mostly in the bass line--while the drums and guitars are more rock n roll. The song gets more psychedelic and spacey as it travels with two guitars soloing against each other at the same time in the end. (9/10)
5. "Foolery" (4:49) has a corny, folk-like beat with an incongruous fuzzy guitar and chunky bass. The weakest song on the album--though fans of Eastern European folk might really dig this one. (8/10)
6. "Equilibrium" (7:05) sounds like a jazz & funked up Math Rock tune in which the bass play is its most adventurous though it may stand out a bit at times from the rest of the band's weave. Sax and male voices humming are featured in the second half. (13.5/15)
7. "Trip" (8:06) is the true Kosmisches song on the album as guest Arkady Fedotov's space synths steer us into distant galaxies start to finish despite the influences and suggestions of the others. Great job by drummer Eugeny Kudryashov in keeping the ship on course. There is even a little uncredited trumpet (sample? synth?) snuck into the journey in the seventh minute. (13.5/15)
8. "Hangover" (1:55) is an awesome little weave of complex bass play, melody-establishing fuzz guitar and syncopated hard hits of piano chords to seal off the album's end. Nice! (4.5/5)
Total time 48:31
88.95 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 star album; great performances on solid compositions throughout this near-masterpiece of instrumental music.
39. GRAVITY SAYS_I Quantum UnknownAn awesome blend of electronica and folk traditions coming out of Greece. Nikitas Kissonas and I agree--this is one of the most interesting and enjoyable--even hypnotic--musics coming out of the Peloponnese.
1. "More Than A Matter Of Instinct" (6:18) opens the album with some sonically manipulated synth sounds and organ. Rolling bass lines (two!) accompany the Tangerine Dream like music that forms as the Brendan Perry/Dead Can Dance-like voice of Manos Paterakis enters and lulls us into hypnotic submission--as does the music that fills the spaces between the vocal verses. Nice use of horns/trumpet in balance tandem with santur and synths for a three-way solo weave during the instrumental section of the song's final two minutes--and then the excellent electric guitar work in the final minute. Great song! (9/10)
2. "Of Woe / Migratory Birds" (9:45) opens with santur and a little VANGELIS/
Blade Runner-like soundscape before the soothing voice of Manos Paterakis enters. Around 1:30 the whole band joins in to establish an interesting rhythm over which Manos and other instruments play. Cool shift at the 3:12 mark establishes multiple layers of both instruments and voices. Guitar solo in the mid-section. I love the santur base. Another shift at 6:12 leads to a more Post Rock sounding section over which trumpet solos until things speed up and the electric guitar takes over. At 7:30 things revert to 1980s techno-pop synth sounds over which Manos (in layers) sings. Interesting song! I'm not sure if the unusual flow really works, though. (16.75/20)
3. "Dowser" (3:16) simple droning synth with syncopated hand clapping form the base for the heavily treated voice of Manos Paterakis to sing over. After the first verse the music shifts, filling with more sounds from a few more instruments (synthesizer/keyboards). After the second verse multiple tracks of both guitars and trumpets join in. Cool effect! (9/10)
4. "An Ivory Heart" (5:16) opens with a brisk pace in an almost Latin style of horn-supported music. A quiet interlude sets in before an interesting drum rhythm pattern sets up for Manos' doubled-up vocal track. Man this guy sounds like Brendan Perry! Fun upbeat song with neat instrumental section in the fourth and fifth minutes. (9/10)
5. "Every Man" (6:11) opens with acoustic classical guitar solo which is joined at the 0:40 mark by other acoustic instruments and strings. It almost has a Greek folk feel to it--but the lyric "every man for himself" seems a bit out of character with a folk song. I love the piano-guitar duet in the middle. Unfortunately, the vocal and lyric seem to bring the song down a bit. Could be so much more powerful. (8/10)
6. "Quantum Unknown (Riveted Eye)" (9:46) opens kind of experimental ambient soundscapes in the vein of RYUICHI SAKAMOTO in his collaborations with sound engineers CHRISTIAN FENNESZ and ALVA NOTO but then turns into a kind of low key DEPECHE MODE song--complete with DAVID GAHAN-like vocals--at least, that is, until the 4:25 mark. Then we return to spacey synthetic soundscapes with some cool throbbing bass lines over which the exotic sounds of the santur eventually solo. The final two minutes revert back to very cool, very eery computer-manipulated synth sounds. Definitely my favorite song on the album. (20/20)
88.75 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This one has such a refreshing and near-perfect blend of traditional folk instrumentation with modern computer-synthesized technologies. Definitely worth checking out! Highly recommended.
40. VESPERO Lique Mekwas
Finally, Vespero gets back on track to fulfill the amazing potential that they had shown through the Naughties with their Liventure live albums and especially through their wonderful 2010 studio album, By the Waters of Tomorrow. Every move the band makes here shows maturity, confidence and sensibility. Great melodies, great changes of pace--even in the middle of songs--not as much reliance on the psy-reggae rhythms of the recent past. It's a long disc coming out at 75 minutes but it is very rewarding listen--no fluff, all substance and intrigue--and with an awesome story being told in concept album form. Guitars, keys, bass, sax and violins are all strongly present with the prominently featured creativity of master rhythmatists, Ivan Fedotov and Alexander Timatov. This could be a masterpiece. Let me get to know it better.
Line up/Musicians:
Ivan Fedotov – drums, percussion, wave drum
Alexander Timakov – percussion, wave drum
Arkady Fedotov – basses, synths
Alexander Kuzovlev – guitars, electric piano (1, 4)
Alexey Klabukov – keys, synths, noise box «Cacophonator» (1)
Vitaly Borodin – violin
With:
Pavel Alekseev – tenor saxophone
1. "The Course Of Abagaz" (16:18) opens with bass rapid harmonics play which quickly turns into some awesome rapid firm bass and rhythm guitar lines to support soaring sustained guitar notes performing the leads for the first three minutes. Tenor sax takes front and center over the next two minutes before giving way to more electric guitar.
The awesome rhythm section sustains its breakneck speed throughout the first seven minutes of this long song--it sounds kind of like a SANTANA jam--which could be a problem in monotony were it not for the various soloists performing their interesting expositions.
At the seven minute mark all instruments stop save for the spacey sounds produced by keyboards and flanged and other treated instruments. What sounds like a Mellotron (but is more likely a heavily treated violin) and Reggae-ish bass establish themselves as the new leads in this cool, slowed down section. PINK FLOYD and HAWKWIND come to mind here--especially as the synths take more of the foreground presence. Violin, guitar and sax solo at the same time, weaving their melodies into the spacey soundscape. What a trip!
At 13:36 the music slows and a guitar signals a return to the SANTANA-like jam of the opening. Distorted keyboard has the first solo before echoed sax takes a brief turn, but it is the keys that carry it home to the end. Great song. (27/30)
2. "Ras Dashen" (9:31) opens slowly, establishing a nice laid back groove with bass and congas and other hand percussives, with some HACKETT-esque volume pedal controlled soloing over the top for the first two minutes. Violin gets the next turn as guitar and keys establish some spacey weave beneath. Then its tenor sax in the fourth minute. Pause in the middle of the fifth minute allows a recalibration and then return to original pace only this time with full drum kit, staccato bass play and muted guitar chords providing that foundational weave for first keyboard solo and then violin. Drums get to shine a bit in the final two minutes. Probably my favorite song on the album. (18/20)
3. "Oromoo’s Flashing Eyes" (10:00) opening with a nice little moving groove within which spacey synth noises and violin get to weave their sounds. In the third minute the song stops and restarts with drums and rhythm section establishing a new somewhat polyrhythmic direction (syncopated drum beats) over which tenor sax takes a turn. By the time the screaming electric guitar takes over the lead in the fifth minute the whole-band rhythm has again congealed into an insistent and unified thrum. Violin and guitar take turns with soli as the foundational music massages and hypnotizes the listener. (18/20)
4. "Abyssinian Ground" (8:20) is perhaps the odd song on the album as the folk melodies and odd rhythms and unorthodox time signatures force one to wake up and take notice. Who said Russians don't concern themselves with rhythm or time? Vespero are here proving them wrong. (18/20)
5. "Isidore’s Prophet" (10:23) long and steady but not enough change, development or nuance. (17.25/20)
6. "Follow The Fitawrari" (8:49) has nice development with sax, violin, synths and incredible bass play. There is an awesome spacey section in the sixth minute. The seventh minute puts some PERCY JONES-like bass play beneath the jazz guitar lead. (18/20)
7. "The Emperor’s Second Self" (11:39) has a very nice slow pace and development from the eerie, spacious opening to the end of the sixth minute. Up to that point all instruments seem to be floating around in their own daydreams. Then the instrumental threads congeal and weave into a cohesive expression. By the 8:00 mark the music is beginning to sound like a meditative/breathworks jam intended to take both listener and musician into altered states of consciousness. Beautiful and awesome! (18/20)
Overall, an awesome excursion into the spacey, rhythmically massaging world of Kosmisches Musik--done in a jazz fusion style!
88.67 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of prog rock and an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.
41. UNAKA PRONG Margot
A fascinating journey through funky, bluesy, jazzy, yet progressive rock music from Boone, North Carolina. Trumpeter Nic Pressley is so fun to listen to! And I love how the rest of the instruments are recorded to sound as if you are among them, on stage. Awesome! Chris Pope's vintage keyboards are gorgeous and always up front and center. The vocals are awesome and hilarious in a kind of Robert Wyatt way. The dual guitars of Mike Welsh and Daniel Stevenson are so nicely constructed--as if Paul Weller was playing with Radiohead or . . . Paul Weller! The drums are recorded so warmly that you might as well be sitting in drummer John Hargett's lap.
Favorite tracks: 4. "Crunch Berries" (6:16) (10/10); 3. "Clifford" (4:54) (9/10); 7. "Hella (for Coleman Christopher)" (6:15) with its rap (9/10); the jazzy instrumental opener, 1. "PTB" (4:52) (9/10); the hilarious and memorable ALLMAN BROTHERS-like 2. "Road Rash Blues" (4:50) (8/10); the awesome Canterbury styled epic, 8. "Little Animal" (11:14) (20/20); the STYLE COUNCIL-like jazz funk of the instrumental 9. "The Truffle Shuffle (featuring Cameron Cook)" (7:35) (12/15); 5. "Anxious Summer" (3:45) (8/10), the funk-bluesy jazz instrumental 6. "Lake Jam #2" (5:08) (8/10).
88.57 on the fish scales = a very solid 4.5 star effort for this group of newbies; a highly recommended contribution of eclectic/crossover progressive rock music. One of the great things about this album is that it's a real grower: it gets fresher and more fun with each and every listen. I can't wait to hear how what direction(s) they choose to develop.
42. AMPLEDEED BYOBA band inspired by prog rock tradition, Ampledeed are three young men schooled in art schools of California who have an undeniably rich and creative connection. While this album, their second, shows tremendous growth it also shows tremendous potential. There is some greatness ahead if these guys choose to continue to work together and hone their skills (especially on the sound/engineering side). And this "criticism" is of a truly wonderful, memorable album!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Aaron Goldich / Vocals, Keyboards
- Max Taylor / Vocals, Keyboards, Bass
- Luis Flores / Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
With:
- Isaac Watts / Drums, Vocals
- Aaron Munoz / Bass
- Allie Taylor / Vocals
- Lisa Vitale / Vocals
- Colin Kupka / Tenor Sax
- Cody Farwell / Bass
1. "Triple Cancer Moon" (6:45) opens with the weird sound effects that might accompany a classic Canterbury song but then opens, musically, with some awesome TOE-like Post Rock weave, but then just as quickly shifts with three layers of vocals (two female, LISA VITALE and ALLY TAYLOR, and one male) and several more shifts in tempo and style. Awesome! My favorite section is the third minute with its syncopated band play and the interesting male vocals that preceed the return of the two dialoguing females. At 3:45 we are then treated to the introduction of a must seductive hook in the form of a moving synth arpeggio (not unlike several of Tony BANKS' portamentos on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadaway). Curiously, the sixth minute becomes quite prog-like before it slows down to some very King Crimsonian ending. Amazing opener! (15/15)
2. "My Plane" (3:29) sounds like it could come straight off of an ECHOLYN album. The organ play in the third minute is the highlight for me. (8/10)
3. "You're a Libra . . . and She's a Bitch" (5:42) is very prog symphonic in the CIRRUS BAY vein with awesome faux British vocal (biting sarcasm!), guitar, drums and piano, but the song puts up front and center the band's need to grow in terms of engineering and keyboard/computer sound choices and effects. (8/10)
4. "Garden Gnomes" (4:24) opens like a lost GENESIS song, but then turns out to sound most like BILL GILLIAM's wonderfully melodic, keyboard-led work with CIRRUS BAY. Great electric guitar work from Luis Fiores but one of the weaker, less dynamic constructs on the album. Also, the weakest vocal/lyrical-musical match on the album. Still, these guys have so much potential! (8/10)
5. "Monolithium" (7:10) opens with some Russian-sounding solo classical piano play. Cymbals crash and bass joins in before the male voice(s) join in. Despite the song's slow pace it has a very comfortable, engaging harmonic and melodic construct. At 2:30 the tempo increases in a kind of TOM POWERS way before settling into another pleasant BILL GILLIAM/CIRRUS BAY-like instrumental groove. The little Latin rhythm incorpration at 4:30 is clever (and could go further, IMHO) as is the gradual bridge used to slow the song back down at 5:20. The final minute reminds me a lot of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE. Nice job. Definitely memorable. (13.5/15)
6. "
I Will Not Wait" (3:34) with lead vocals handed off to ALLY TAYLOR sounds very much like a song from a THIEVES' KITCHEN album. Ally's AMY DARBY-like voice is quite impressive; no wonder she has a burgeoning solo career launched and on its rise. (9/10)
7. "On My Mind the Gap for Kids " (1:18) is a nice electric keyboard solo. (4/5)
8. "Steve Lied" (2:52) sees the band fall back into a little Echolyn-tinged Neo Prog. It's nice. Pleasant. Melodic. Has Interesting vocals and lyrics. But somehow misses. (8/10)
9. "
The Space between Your Face" (5:10) is one of my favorites. It reminds me of 2014's FREDDEGREDDE release. Man these guys can sing! Such buttery voices! And I LOVE the HOMUNCULUC RES-like Casiotone-like synthesizer keyboard used on this one. Great piano, bass, and drums weave! Man these guys have talent and potential. (10/10)
The totally funked up Canterbury-oriented, 10. "The Greatest Gatsby" (9:46) is awesome! An instrumental of epic proportions with great work on piano and other keys (bass, too), drums. Great construction, complex but not mind-bendingly so. (18/20).
11. "
Muffin Man" (6:59) sounds like it is intended to be a tribute to America's only other true Canterbury band, The Muffins. The song has VINCE GURALDI-like chord progressions and nice vocals and drum work--and even some special effects worked into the song (beneath Luis's nice HACKETT-esque guitar solo in the sixth minute)--giving it a kind of GENESIS feel to it, before it returns to solo piano chord play for the final 45 seconds (which lends further confirmation to my notion that the true leader and backbone of this band is its keyboard player, AARON GOLDICH). A song that really grows on you. (13.5/15)
I like the complex weaves the multi-instruments create throughout the album and I especially like the diverse approaches to styling the male vocals. I am very excited to follow these talented young musicians as their talent is undeniable. I think that more experience with the sound/engineering side and even more time together will serve these artists very well. The future is incandescent for AMPLEDEED!
88.46 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of refreshingly new progressive rock music.
43. ANTOINE FAFARD Sphère
He's back! Bassist extraordinaire Antoine Fafard returns with another stellar Jazz Fusion album--this time using drumming legend GARY HUSBAND (LEVEL 42, ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, JOHN McLAUGHLIN), along with long-time collaborator JERRY DE VILLIERS, JR on guitar. Though I truly appreciate the creativity in the song performances coming from such virtuosi of their respective instruments, the album does come up a little short of the heights of Antoine's previous album, Ad Perpetuum (2014).
1. "Reminiscence" (5:56) is a nice, even paced song quite reminiscent of Antoine's last album, Ad Perpetuum, except for the more open turn-taking of the bass solo. Nice keyboard solo from Gary Husband in the fifth minute. Not a bad song, just not anything really new. (8/10)
2. "Renaissance Man" (5:16) starts out sounding like a slowed down version of the previous song. The title may refer to Gary for his dual role as percussionist and keyboard track artist. He is truly extraordinary at both. (8/10)
3. "Facta Non Verba" (5:51) a commendable song for Jerry's attempts at going outside his usual style and breakneck speeds. The stop-and-start rhythm construction is okay for a while, but it gets old. (8/10)
4. "Fur & Axes - Part II" (5:05) opens with some sounds and chords that hold a lot of potential--unresolved angst. The band manages to retain some of this tension over the opening discourse, and even into the first shift, but then at 1:30, when everything quiets down, it is lost; it becomes soft and pretty, even comforting; the tension cannot be regained--even despite Jerry's best efforts in the third and fourth minutes. Still, I'd like to hear more songs like this one. (9/10)
5. "Still Invictus" (7:58) my favorite song on the album. It has great variety shifting right and left, using multiple paces and chord foundations. I get quite a thrill hearing the opening and then following all of the instruments throughout the course of this great song. (15/15)
6. "Cherishing" (4:33) ventures into more atmospheric jazz a la EBERHARD WEBER. This is the kind of variety that I like to here more of from Antoine. Really nice drum and piano work from Gary. I especially like the feeling that the drum is not the rhythm keeper but a lead instrument--really cool! (10/10)
7. "No-Brainer" (5:19) is a little more laid back, world music/jazz oriented (I like the Latin AL DI MEOLA feel to it) though the drumming feels like the same old same old. Excellent fretless bass play (and soli!) with some really nice JAN HAMMER-like synth soloing as well. Even Jerry's Holdsworth-like solo is welcome (cuz it comes late in the song--and cuz it duels with Gary's synth), but the key to this success is, IMO, due to Antoine's restraint on the bass in the second half of the song. (9/10)
8. "Celestial Roots" (6:00) has an edgy, bluesy, almost raunchy CORVUS STONE-like feel to it (though the drumming is, once again, same old same ole). Even Antoine's solo in the second & third minutes is 'different'--more earthy. Solid song but nothing that leaves me wanting more. (8/10)
9. "Bubonic Groove" (6:06) opens with a polyrhythmic weave of syncopated arpeggi similar to KING CRIMSON Discipline music. The rhythm guitar strums that enter after 30 seconds sound like Andy Summers (THE POLICE) and then Jerry De Villiers' guitar--and, later, Gary Husband's synth soloing--takes one out of KC thinking altogether and back to jazz fusion world. I feel as if I am listening to Jan Hammer, Jean-Luc Ponty's long time bass player (Ralphe Armstrong comes to mind but it could've been Randy Jackson), and Allan Holdsworth together. The song fails to rise to the heights that the beginning of the second minute seems to promise. It seems that the breakdowns in song flow or group weave in order to make room for soloists--which is the traditional jazz way--works against Antoine's music for some reason. Great bass solo at the end of the fourth minute/beginning of the fifth. (9/10)
Where Sphère comes up short is in fresh sounds. As amazing a guitarist as Jerry De Villiers is (I think he is better than the man to whom he is most compared, Allan Holdsworth), one begins to become innured to his one guitar sound. (I have the exact same problem with Allan Holdsworth.) I am thankful for his attempts to temper and vary his sound and style but I think the music misses the counterbalancing inputs of the keyboards and saxophones that Antoine's previous album had. Gary Husband is a great drummer--a great drummer--but, let's face it, any drumming would be a let down when compared to Vinnie Colaiuta's drumming of the last album--which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest whole-album performances by a drummer that I have ever heard.
88.42 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music.
44. THE MOULETTES PreternaturalA highly creative and original band and sound crossing over the pop, avant, techno/New Wave, and Kate Bush-like proggy band comes back with their fourth album reelase.
Line-up / Musicians: Hannah Miller - Cello, vocals, guitarOllie Austin - Drums, guitar, piano, vocalsRuth Skipper - Bassoon, vocals, autoharp, synthsJim Mortimore - Double bass, guitar, vocalsRaevennan Husbandes - Electric guitar, vocals, percussion With:
- Anja McCloskey / piano
- Fred Kinbom / pedal steel guitar (4)
- Campbell Austin / vocals (8)
1. "Behemooth" (4:07) very cool low strings opening followed by old radio clip of man talking about the "monsters" of Nature. The band kicks in, in full song development, with Hannah in the lead vocals. It's quite a little heavier than what I might have expected--conjuring up comparisons to some of QUEEN's more aggressive and angular pieces--especially with the big voice choral chorus and instrumental jags between. (8.666667/10)
2. "UnderWaterPainter" (3:22) such an unusual sound palette with covering a BRITNEY SPEARS-like song style. Rated up for the fact that it has several earworm riffs that stick with you. (8.75/10)
3. "Coral" (4:13) sounding like a cross of LORDE and TOM TOM CLUB. (8.75/10)
4. "Hidden World (Halicephalobus Mephisto)" (4:47) Hannah singing in her smoothest voice inside a reverb cave of fairy dust and leprechaun percussives. At the two minute mark the music goes tip hop/Massive Attack. Impressive sound imagining--on a par with Björk. (9/10)
5. "Pufferfish Love" (4:57) more rhythm-focused techno pop music with Hannah with her calm voice in the lead vocal position. Cool music. Much more pop oriented and smooth than I was expecting from HMoule & Company. (9/10)
6. "Patterns" (3:43) more techno-New Wave drums cello, bassoon with interesting JANE SIBERRY-like vocal weaves over the top. For some reason I'm also reminded of Canada's GANG OF FOUR. (8.75/10)
7. "Rite Of Passage" (3:41) now these are the complex quirky multi-voiced vocal arrangements I was expecting. (8.875/10)
8. "Medusa" (3:51) more LORDE-like vocals over some music that reminds me more of DEAD CAN DANCE. Gorgeous, inventive, and refreshing. (8.875/10)
9. "Parasite" (3:39) another odd but interesting and creative pairing of instruments: bowed double bass, 1980s techno-New Wave drums, BRITNEY SPEARS' "Toxic"-like. (8.66667/10)
10. "Bird Of Paradise (Part II)" (3:38) some nice vocal arrangements set to more QUEEN-like music. (8.666667/10)
11. "Silk" (4:46) KATE BUSH musical creativity with Katharine Blake's MEDIÆVAL BÆBES' vocal sass, skills and sensibilities. (9/10)
Total time 44:44
Not as proggy as I was hoping but very high quality songwriting and even higher quality sound rendering. Even the lyrics are of a very high level--and you know how impervious I am to words and their meanings when they are sung or put into verse.
88.18 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent, highly creative pop-crossover album--one to fit into the realm of bands coming from modern youth such as Bent Knee, iNFiNiEN, and even black midi.
45. ANAKDOTA Overloading
An album of refreshing, theatric, acoustic piano-driven, GENTLE GIANT-like songs delivered in a Broadway musical-like style with a male lead vocalist who sounds and styles like XTC's Andy Partridge (or THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT's Gabriel Lucas Riccio) and a female lead that sounds like Amy Darby (THIEVES' KITCHEN) and Amanda Plummer (AXON-NEURON)! Exceptional songwriting here is met by musicians who are every bit up to the task. The song constructions are deceptively complex while the sound engineering and production are among the best you will ever hear. Unfortunately, I thing this one sailed under everyone's radar because it was released so late in 2016 (mid-November by AlrOck Productions).
Line-up/Musicians:
Ray Livnat - Vocals
Ayala Fossfeld - Vocals
Erez Aviram - Keyboards
Guy Bernfeld - Bass
Yogev Gabay - Drums
With:
Yoel Genin - Guitar (4)
1. "One More Day" (7:03) The first half is like an Andy Partridge song gone Broadway! The second half is so gorgeous and life-affirming. It's full of amazingly engaging pop-jazz melodies and sound and construction that sound as if they've been lovingly borrowed from those of the great songwriters of the 1940s like Gershwin and Porter. (14.25/15)
2. "Different Views" (5:42) with its great drumming/percussion work. (8.5/10)
3. "Late" (4:20) reminds me of a HUMBLE GRUMBLE song. (8/10)
4. "Mourning" (5:28) is definitely the prettiest, most emotional song on the album. It's mostly a piano song with lead singing from the eminently capable female lead, Ayala Fossfield. Highlight: Ayala's duet of wordless vocalise with the piano. This is the song that most bears the comparisons I've read to Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's work together. (8.5/10)
5. "Overloading" (7:08) is quite the piano dominant, though Ray Livnat's voice, Guy Bernfeld's bass, and Yogev Gabay's drums get their turns to shine as well. (12.75/15)
6. "Staying Up Late" (8:24) opens with Yogev's bass but it's really the vehicle for the beautiful, thoughtful vocal stylings of Ayala Fossfield. This is a great song--my favorite on the album--that sounds a lot like a THIEVES' KITCHEN (Amy Darby) or AXON-NEURON (Amanda Plummer) song done in a GENTLE GIANT way. The jazzy electric piano-led excursion mid-song (3:55 to 6:35) is especially sweet--even when it gets "dirty" with distortion--but it is the return and finish of Ayala's part that is most welcomed. (19/20)
7. "Girl Next Door" (5:01) has a Vince Guraldi-like piano with DEREK SHULMAN-like singing (8.5/10)
8. "End Of The Show" (5:58) the album's finale is an end-of-Disney-movie sound-alike (8.5/10)
Total Time 49:04
A bit of an acquired taste--kind of like GENTLE GIANT and HUMBLE GRUMBLE were for me, and yet the STEPHEN SCHWARTZ-like theatricity of it is quite interesting and, if you give it a chance, engaging.
January 2017 re-assessment: The remarkably clean production, complex, proggy composition style, virtuosic performances, and thoroughly enjoyable melodies kept drawing me back to this one despite the flurry of other activities (and albums) of 2017--leading me to totally revamp my ratings and assessment. This is a masterpiece of progressive rock music--one that should be heard by anyone who professes themselves a prog lover.
88.0 on the Fishscales = a solid four star album; B; an excellent addition to any prog rocker's music collection.
46. iNFiNiEN Light at the Endless Tunnel
iNFiNiEN is back! This new release, the band's third album, comes from Philadelphia quartet iNFiNiEN. Thanks to the leadership of experienced torch singer, CHRISSIE LOFTUS--who took some time in the early 2010s to try other genres of music (including a solo album of piano-based soft-jazz vocal covers, Young Hearts)--and guitarist/songwriter Matt Hollenberg, what we have here is another jazz-leaning, progressive rock album from eminently creative and competent instrumentalists in the vein of JEREMEY POPARAD's AXON-NEURON and the funky jazziness of North Carolina's UNAKA PRONG. This a much better produced album than both their 2006 debut, How to Accept, or their eponymously titled 2009 album. Though the debut has a bit of that raw, excited sound that is so often captured in an album of fresh energy of a new collaboration, this one has some of that raw AMANDA RANKIN-like force in it. The band membership has remained fairly solid over those ten years with only virtuoso bass player, Jordan Berger, not being in the lineup for the first album.
Lineup/Musicians:
Jordan Berger: Electric and Upright Bass, Background Vocals, Additional Percussion
Tom Cullen: Drums and Percussion
Matt Hollenberg: Guitars, Bulbul Tarang, Tabla, Moog Minitaur
Chrissie Loftus: Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Organ and Additional Percussion
1. "Brand New" (5:48) a pleasant, very melodic, tempo-shifting song with orchestral support that puts on display from the very start the band's foundation in intricately layered, well composed and executed jazz rock. Lead vocalist Chrissie Loftus uses a softer, breathier approach on this one than on most of the other songs here. It's very sexy. Me like! Awesome song! (10/10)
2. "AYA" (6:47) a funky (clavinet), almost RUFUS-like song that has an unmistakable similarity to the vocal stylings and musical eclecticism of Courtney Swain and BENT KNEE for its first half. The second half goes heavier like Moorea Dickason MOE-TAR feel and sound to it. (13.5/15)
3. "Oasis" (3:01) there's almost a BASIA joy and feel in the vocal here as well as some very pretty melody-making over some very complex constructed and performed music. (9/10)
4. "Off The Tracks" (7:41) despite the great Tony Levin-like bass play here and some truly incredible instrumental performances, this song seems to be a rehash of old music. (12.75/15)
5. "Bottom Of The Food Chain" (5:57) a gorgeous song with another powerful vocal from Chrissie.(9/10)
6. "Light At The Endless Tunnel" (9:17) opens almost Klezmer then turns quirky world (Indian) metal. (17.333/20)
7. "Love For Yourself" (6:11) a very jazzy, piano-based AXON-NEURON-like avant song with some very odd and eclectic stylings pulled into one song. I hear Brazilian samba, Jefferson Airplane, STEELY DAN, Amanda Rankin, Rikkie Lee Jones, and so many more. Love the final chorus and end! Very cool! (9.5/10)
8. "Worth The Wait" (2:48) an instrumental that opens with almost Richard Clayderman-sounding piano play before some really superb guitar, bass, drum, and flute work join in. Kind of like FOCUS meets JOE SAMPLE. (8.5/10)
9. "If I Were A Song" (1:39) opens with Chrissie singing with an orchestra as her only accompaniment. Déjà vu Linda Rondstadt 1984. (4/5)
10. "If You Were A Song" (7:50) flowing out of the previous song, the Latin-tinged jazz-rock ensemble joins in while preserving the Cole Porter torch song feel. Nice! I can really understand the BENT KNEE comparisons with this one. The uptempo instrumental section in the middle almost has a YES-like quality to it, while the final three minutes remind me more of THE MARS VOLTA if it were led by a female vocalist. (13.5/15)
11. "Existence" (4:47) opens with an upbeat bass-led jazzy pace and sound. When Chrissie's voice appears it reminds me of some kind of Afro-beat pop music. (8.5/10)
Total Time 61:46
87.88 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This is an album of songs from some true song master craftsmen--musically, lyrically, instrumentally. A must hear!
47. SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO Work in Progress
Very cool psychedelic electronica from a young trio of very creative, multi-talented musicians from Poland.
1. "Zanim" (3:37) is an odd little ditty with a kind of pop circus feel to it with multiple keyboards and drums seeming to wander each in their own directions beneath the vocal (in Polish) of Przemysław Piłaciński--which is the thread that holds the whole piece together. Kind of like AFTER CRYING meets FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE. Przemysław has a very nice voice--not unlike that of DEAD CAN DANCE's Brendan PERRY. (8/10)
2. "Korkarlen" (5:58) is a kind of cinematic avant-RIO instrumental with shifting and tempos and moods. (8/10)
3. "Entropia" (15:26) opens like a of an Indian raga with a drone sound providing the background foundation for the solo saxophone and solo synth that alternate over the top. in fact, it's not until the 4:35 mark that a percussion instrument or bass line join in. The song continues to maintain an Indian vibe though much more in the German Kosmische style of psychedelic expression and albeit a very eerie, almost disturbing expression. (Thus the title!) At 8:50 the third section begins over which another very pleasant vocal from Przemysław Piłaciński ensues. Again I am reminded of AFTER CRYING's vocal delivery style (Tamas Gorgenyi?).
This is truly an excellent song that would stand head to head with the best of its 1960/70s inspirateurs even if it is not very upbeat or hippie-happy-go-lucky. (27/30)
4. "Duchy Elektrycznosci (remix)" (4:11) has a very early-1980s feel and sound to it--as if some early English or French techno band were getting together with KRAFTWERK. The organ, electronic drums and rolling bass line get me! (9/10)
5. "Ludzie-muchomory" (11:35) opens with spoken word over throat vocals and organs which gradually play out to make way for a long, slow, hypnotic organ, synth and rolling bass-based Kosmisches jam. (18/20)
87.5 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. A very cool album of refreshingly ecclectic music that I highly recommend to y'all progheads.
48. MYRATH Legacy
Awesome metal from Tunisia. Accessible, bombastic, passionate, skillful, well-produced, this music will definitely get you pumped up! Constructed a bit like a Broadway show (it even opens with an overture-like instrumental), it has the plus of being totally energizing and very well polished. At times the performances get to feel as if they're a little SPINAL TAP-over-the-top--especially in the vocal department--but the many instances of Middle Eastern music inputs really add something to awesome to this music--making it very engaging. The rock/metal foundations of the music (drums, guitars, vocal stylings) can get a little cliched in a 80s "hair band" kind of way. In fact, it's the orchestral-like keyboards and traditional Middle Eastern sounds and stylings that make this album as good as it is for me. Singer Zaher Zorgatti is uber-talented--singing in both the English language with its rock/metal traditions as well as in other languages (probably Arabian) with their vocal traditions' stylings. His lyrical pronunciation is impeccable and very much appreciated. If there is a weakness in the album it is probably in the unwavering high energy of the music. Even the gentler side of the band as expressed in songs like "Through Your Eyes" and "I Want to Die" (two of my favorite songs) are often so "big" and bombastic in their production as to be quite overwhelming. Listening through the entire album in one sitting is a taxing, draining experience; the constancy of their musical approach is a bit numbing and, eventually, disengaging. Plus, there is the afore-mentioned undeniable sound and style similarity to 80s hair bands like Guns'n'Roses, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Faith No More.
87.27 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection; an album that is interesting for the influence and input of Arabian sounds and stylings.
49. BENT KNEE Say So
As I feared, Bent Knee's previous album, 2014's Shiny Eyed Babies--a masterpiece for the ages and one of my all-time favorite albums (#3)--has made it difficult for any future Bent Knee efforts to compare much less exceed the standards they set previously.
1. "Black Water Tar" (3:29) a top three song from me and a real grower as one listens repeatedly. (9/10)
2. "Leak Water" (4:41) the first of three or four consecutive songs that use a rather annoying violin/guitar scrape/pluck to establish a stark soundscape as well as a straightforward metronomic time signature. The song is good, the lyric interesting, but Courtney and crew may have taken this one too far (length, that is.) (9/10)
3. "Counselor" (5:51) this song has the impact, intensity and compositional cleverness that I expected to come from Bent Knee's "next" project. All band members are working at their highest capacity, full potential, on this one. And the lyrical content is uncomfortably edgy-awkward--just what I expect from Ben and Courtney. Fresh and innovative. Awesome! (9/10)
4. "Eve" (9:12) just never gets up and going--or takes too long to do so. BK's first attempt at an epic is a disappointment. (16.75/20)
5. "Transition" (0:49) is an awesome Dave Fiuczynksi-like guitar exercise in Asian microtones.
6. "The Things You Love" (6:12) seems to have some structural foundation in what feels like Chinese or SE Asian (Cambodia?) melodies--which is, to me, very much its strength. The gentler side of Courtney's voice matched with the strength of the large chorale work is an awesome trick--though the sections in which Courtney sings in her delicate voice are perhaps a bit too long. (9/10)
7. "Nakami" (5:20) contains a story and melodic sense fitting for stage and screen. A very welcome change of pace and style. I love the Japanese instrumental and melodic choices that are foundational to the song's first three minutes, but I LOVE the shift that occurs at 3:15 to the song's end. Stupendous! (10/10)
8. "Commercial" (3:44) represents the title quite well. There are lots of rapid fire bytes and bits, micro-tones, and discordant, chaotic, disruptive, disturbing--things that are so inherent to the basic fabric of modern society. (8/10)
9. "Hands Up" (5:40) is lyrically quite clever yet musically quite straightforward and rather unexceptional (by Bent Knee standards. This song reminds me of the songs from their debut album--trying to do much but somehow just not hitting the mark, not synchronized or hitting on all cylinders). (8/10)
10. "Good Girl" (6:43) is a slow, grungy, methodical, and spacious song which highlights the amazing musical chemistry and sympathy between Bent Knee co-founders, guitarist BEN Levin and vocalist CourTNEY Swain--and the work in the mixing room by VINCE WELCH is nothing short of astounding. This band is so talented! (13.5/15)
Some of my general impressions after listening to these songs over the past few weeks are conjuring up some of the (few) negative comments I've read by reviewers of Bent Knee's previous work, particularly the reference to the dynamic rollercoaster that the band subjects the listener to: it is sometimes difficult to stay with the band with such frequent and sudden vacillations between extreme loud and extreme soft; it requires a listener to be a) myopically focused on the music (to no other distraction) and b) incredibly tolerant of such dynamism. Whereas with Shiny Eyed Babies it is almost natural and joyful to remain so focused, with this album it is . . . more work; the journey that Shiny Eyed Babies took me on was so engaging, so exciting, so energizing, emotional, and authentically personal that it has never been an issue to tune in, give my full attention, and stick with it. I want to. I can't help myself. From start to finish. This album offers no such pull, no consistent bond of affection and awe--well, maybe some awe, but not the excitement and empathic connection.
Awesome album cover and design!
Later addendum (7/31016): It's been a couple months now that I've spent with Say So. My appreciation and enjoyment of all of the songs have increased however I will not change any of my ratings for I am of the same opinion as to their place among the scale. This album, while polished and intricately detailed in its construction, is not the shocking, bare-bones masterpiece that Shiny Eyed Babies was.
87.14 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; an excellent example of modern progressive rock music.
The Rankings of 2016
1. VANETA Antimemory2. MOTHER TURTLE II
3. GHOST MEDICINE Discontinuance
4. THE GHOSTS OF JUPITER The Great Bright Horses
5. IAMTHEMORNING Lighthouse
6. MICE ON STILTS Hoping for a Mourning
7. PROMENADE Noi al dir di di noi
8. UTOPIANISTI The Third Frontier
9. AXON-NEURON Metamorphosis
10. MEER Meer
11. LOST WORLD Of Things and Beings
12. JACK O' THE CLOCK Repetitions of The Old City - I
13. STARE AT THE CLOUDS This Clear Divide14. DUNGEN Häxan
15. MANTRA VEGA The Illusion's Reckoning
16. LA BOCCA DELLA VERITÀ Avenoth
17. SHAMBLEMATHS Shamblemaths
18. TONY PATTERSON Equations of Meaning
19. THE MERCURY TREE Permutations
20. INGRANAGGI DELLA VALLE Warm Spaced Blue
21. ILL WICKER Untamed
22. STEVE HAUSCHILDT Strands
23. KAYO DOT Plastic House on Base of Sky24. STARSABOUT Halflights
25. ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique
26. MOTORPSYCHO Here Be Monsters
27. YUGEN Death by Water
28. THENCE We Are Left With A Song
29. PLINI Handmade Cities
30. YVES POTIN Waters
31. ULVER ATGCLVLSSCAP
33. UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA Mathematical Mother
34. ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique III
35. THE ARBORIST Acrylic Road
36. THE COLIN TENCH PROJECT Hair in a G-String (Unfinished but Sweet)
37. AISLES Hawaii
38. GADI CAPLAN Morning Sun
39. DISEN GAGE Snapshots
40. GRAVITY SAYS_I Quantum Unknown
42. UNAKA PRONG Margot
43. AMPLEDEED BYOB
44. ANTOINE FAFARD Sphère
45. MOULETTES Preternatural
46. ANAKDOTA Overloading
47. iNFiNiEN Light at The Endless Tunnel
48. SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO Work in Progress
49. MYRATH Legacy
50. BENT KNEE Say So
Honorable Mentions:
SEVEN IMPALE Contrapasso
AMOEBA SPLIT Second SplitNOSOUND Scintilla
RESINA Resina
ZHONGYU Zhongyu
MATTHEW PARMENTER
All Our YesterdaysLOST KITE
RemainsTHE WINSTONS The Winstons
HELMUT RÓBOT Kowloon . . . Ciudad amurallada
