CHINESE SONGS - PART ONE

Russian progrock sensation Little Tragedies (I am absolutely delighted about their album Return and New Faust ) was founded in the late Eighties but it took a while before they released their debut album in 1999. However, the recent years Little Tragedies is more prolific by releasing every year at least one CD. In 2007 they even produced two albums entitled Chinese Songs Part 1 and Part II.

On Chinese Songs Part I we can enjoy the typical Little Tragedies sound: from dreamy and mellow with almost whispering native vocals, soaring keyboards, harpsichord and warm piano runs to heavy with a fat synthesizer sound and a very propulsive rhythm- section, reminding me of Japanese 'over-the-top-proggers' Gerard (led by the keyboard wizard Toshio Egawa). In comparison with previous albums, Little Tragedies sound a bit more laidback and, like on The Sixth Sense, the band uses at some moments a saxophone player. My highlight is the long composition There Came an Unexpected Guest. featuring the Little Tragedies trademark: a more and more bombastic sound with flashy synthesizer flights, a thunderous rhythm-section and fiery guitar runs. I also like the wonderful sound of the ethnic Koto, blended with harp and keyboards in the piece The Wanderer.

This is a decent effort but to me it sounds that Little Tragedies is a bit running out of ideas.