2 (TWO)

I had the pleasure of reviewing Artnat's first album "The Mirror Effect" on my channel four years ago. Even then, I found it difficult to describe her music as accurately as possible for interested readers: I ultimately decided to title their sound as "a mixture of symphonic prog with jazz elements and psychedelic excursions" (see review 193).

Today, their follow-up album with the simple title "Two" presents me with another challenge - in a positive sense. Whenever I hear and experience new music, there are two different approaches. Either an album ignites immediately or leaves us perplexed at first. All avid prog listeners know that both approaches can lead us to love and appreciate albums. In Artnat's case, it took me many listens to understand, penetrate and enjoy their conceptual double album. Because if you delve into the backstory of the concept album, you'll quickly realize how unique this album has become.

Every single song on the first CD is about a different life of a person who once experienced an unpleasant event. The consequence of this event was that he wakes up every day in a different body, in a different life and sometimes in a different world. On the second CD, each song represents a different world that he visited in one of his lives when he was a transversal traveler in the spaceship. Pretty cool, isn't it? Artnat does an excellent job of incorporating this wacky concept into their music. On the first CD, the wonderful vocals of Sara Freitas form the basis of the narrative. The band manages to constantly build up the tension of their individual songs by alternating jazzy and symphonic elements with sometimes avant-garde and experimental phases. Manuel Cardoso, the creative head of the project, explores new boundaries in the musical cosmos of Artnat with every song, making it great fun to devote oneself fully to the musical direction, which is highly dynamic. On the second CD, the violin takes over, adding another component to Artnat's music. "Two" demands something that I miss on some modern prog albums: Attention. Because it is only by looking closely at the music that the facets of this extraordinary album by the Portuguese band reveal themselves. I am curious to see in which direction the band will continue to develop!

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