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Bubu - Anabelas CD (album) cover

ANABELAS

Bubu

 

Eclectic Prog

4.26 | 656 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Flucktrot
Prog Reviewer
4 stars Organized chaos has rarely sounded so good!

Bubu is just so difficult to categorize, but of course I have to try! There's definitely overlap with Italian prog in terms of instrumentation (flutes, violin, sax, etc), combined with the free-flowing spontaneity of Zappa and Gryphon, with perhaps a bit of Anglagard menace and melancholy thrown in on occasion just for good measure.

There are plenty of good melodies, harmonies, countermelodies and textures, but my favorite aspect of Anabelas involves the interplay between players. The production and mix is more than solid enough to be able to hear each part, and repeated listening offers new insights each time.

My favorite recent observation is the frequent departure between the winds and the rhythm section. Even in quieter parts, the drums and bass simply can't sit back and watch, and so both instruments are always adding intensity and energy throughout. The winds (and violin) often team to form the melodic component, though frequently breaking away individually to improv. However, the guitar wavers back and forth between rhythm, melody, and simply doing his own thing. It's so haphazard that I wouldn't call it countermelody, but somehow it always seems to add to the music, and comes back to the join the other players just in time. Just a very interesting interplay.

The only downside is that the best material occurs on the first tracks (fortunately, this equals about a half hour of solid, condensed prog). The final piece, while housing a killer sinister jam in the middle, is just less intense, creative and interesting than what came before.

Overall Anabelas is a great find for any fan of instrumental prog, particularly prog with a bite. Yet another wonderful find, thanks to ProgArchives!

Flucktrot | 4/5 |

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