DETACHMENT

I have been listening to this album for months, I have heard it dozens and dozens of times. It has stuck into my bones and it's my favourite release of 2017. Funny since I don't like much the previous output by the band, mostly because I think previous lead vocalist Luca Pancaldi would work best in a prog metal band, that Barock Project is NOT! Luca Zabbini is the star here, besides playing keyboards like a maestro (and also some guitar) he has written most of the stuff and sings also most of it. His vocals are more earthy, but also the guests vocalists do a fantastic job working around his tasty lines. And the songs are ... well, fabulous. There's hints of Spock's Beard, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull ... but all these influences are very focused into the songs. My favourites from the album are Broken, the album's epic - a true masterpiece - and Alone, a wonderful piano and vocal duet, sang by Peter Jones; what's funny is that I don't use to like "piano and voice only" songs !!! In short: I declare proudly this album as my number one for 2017. I only hope they would record again something as good as this.