BRAVO

"Bravo" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian rock act Gazpacho. The album was released through Intact Records in 2003. The history of Gazpacho dates back to 1996 when a couple of old friends met after some years of seperation and formed the band. The three original members of the band were all major Marillion fans and active members of the Scandinavian branch of the fanclub and as result lead vocalist Jan-Henrik Ohme was invited to perform on the first Marillion Convention Weekend, and spend the event handing out the Gazpacho "Get It While It's Cold" promo, which provided the band with some attention. At least enough attention to be able to release a six-track EP in 2002, which ultimately lead to the recording of "Bravo".

The music on "Bravo" is pleasant, simple, melodic, and relatively catchy rock, with a few nods towards more adventurous music. Album opener "Desert" is the most structurally interesting track on the album, and it features a couple of semi-progressive ideas, but it´s not an overtly complex track. Other standout tracks on the album are "Sea Of Tranquility" and "Mesmer", but "Bravo" is generally a nice listening experience and a good quality release. There are a couple of less remarkable tracks on the album like "Nemo" and "California", but it´s not a major issue.

The musicianship is on a high level on all posts, but it´s Ohme´s strong voice and melancholic and warm delivery that is the icing on the cake (the pleasant sounding keyboards could be mentioned as another asset). The drums are programmed (except for on a few tracks), which is a bit odd on a rock album, but it actually works pretty well for the most part. "Bravo" is fairly well produced too, so upon conclusion it´s a decent debut album by Gazpacho. There are several positive elements to be found on the album, but in the end it´s rarely a remarkable album, but more often just a decent one. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.