THE WARMEST SUN IN WINTER

After the rather disappointing The Bread Is Mine (2009) I kind of lost touch with Believe music. I really though that Mirek Gil (Collage, Satellite) new band would go downhill from then on. But after reading some glowing review about their latest CD Six Widows I decided to give Believe another chance. And I was pleased to find out that World Is Round (2011) was much better than its predecessor, so I felt stimulated to listen to their latest releases. I must say I did not approach The Warmest Sun in Winter with the best spirits since one of Believe´s most appealing aspects (violinist Satomi) was only featured on two tracks. Satomi´s discreet but beautiful contributions with her instrument to this bands sound was almost as important as Gil´s unique guitar licks. So I was quite surprised to discover that this CD is one of their best.

Well, OK, it is different, but in a good way. At first I would agree with Kenneth Livine´s review that the songs did not seem to be that great, even boring sometimes, but after repeated spins I found them to be rather stronger and better than I initially though. The Warmest Of The Sun is definitely a grower: they often reveal themselves as a kind of more sparse and modern sounding version of Collage. Mirek Gil is surely the star of the show with his trademark fluid, melodic and expressive guitar solos, but it would be nothing if the songs were not up to the challenge. And they are all very good, although certainly also more demanding to the listener than the music of Collage and Satellite. I´ve been listening to this album non stop for the last two weeks and I still can´t have enough of it. Yes, for my taste I still think Collage and Satellite are better, but since neither band has delivered anything new lately, this is the best next thing. Besides, it looks like Believe finally found a sound of their own, which is really surprising. I´m really,k really happy they got rid of those grungy vocal lines. Karol Wróblewsk is a much better singer than Tomek Różycki. His vocal lines reminded of Robert Amirian´s (again the Collage/Satellite connection) . There are even some fine vocal harmonies that added to the great tapestry of their music. Subtle as the rest, but it is there.

The production is excellent and the tracklist is simply outstanding. My favorite track is the powerful Words, but there is no fillers here.

The Warmest Of The Sun restore my faith in Believe. One of the best CDs I heard this year, although it was released four years ago. So far so good! If you like fine melodies, subtle arrangements and beautiful Hackett-like guitar lines you should not miss this one. It might take a while to fully appreciate its richness, but you´ll be rewarded if you persist. A real nice finding!

Rating: 4,5 stars.