I have no words to describe this album. Oddly enough, I have seen many records on jamendo described as "Prog rock" by their authors without being even partially progressive, while I would more than happily put this tag here, for what it implies... Wonderful, Creative, Beautiful, Arty... music doesn't gets much better than this.
There is such a palette of musical colors here is outstanding. You have the Beatlesque affair "Barcelona", the King Crimson-like "At Odds", the Radiohead's "Ordinary Day"... there is an art rock wonderful style plaguing all the album not unlike Radiohead's last disks, and a jazz rock sensibility (like Karate or King Crimson) that just took my breath when I listened to the album, and some latin/bossa feel in some songs (that I don't like too much), folk, ambient, postrock... Even though, the sound is extremely creative and original, merging all these influences and surely many others and adding a personal touch I love. The experimentation in sounds, effects and samples is highly rewarding, and the instruments surprises (like the eastern-styled violin of "Ender" -which incidentally brings to my mind "Lark's Tongues in Aspic", or the brass section in some songs) are just a delightful encounter.
The music gets drown a little bit in songs like "Barrio Chino", that remembers me more of Manu Chao and the such... definitely not my kind of music, and IMHO, these musicians can give much MUCH more, although the flute solo returns me to the good mood of the album, the good jazz-indie-art-whatever-rock :D.
Except for the latin/bossa feel, maybe one of the VERY best records I have listened since Radiohead's "Kid A", and if that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is. The recording quality it superb and the playing and effect application is flawless. There is too much in this disk to absorv just with a few listens, it requires more.
I'm not usually much into vocal records, as I prefer instrumental works by far, but here the voices are just so charming and nicely sung... just how I like singing, sweet but strong at the same time. I have been very surprised by this album, a strange discovery in a world full of commercial, banal or mediocre music.
Instant fan.
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