ALTURAS DE MACHU PICCHU

This intriguing blend of Andean folk music with progressive rock from Los Jaivas is a true original. Smartly, Los Jaivas choose the pastoral, acoustic-friendly textures of Italian progressive rock of the 1970s for this fusion; the styles of bands such as Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Locanda Delle Fate prove fertile ground for the group to weave their magic in. If truth be told, there's more than a few points on the album where the prog rock side of the group's sound threatens to overwhelm their folk interests entirely, but even then there's still intriguing pan-pipe textures to add a distinct flavour to the mix. An interesting experiment, but not one I find especially compelling for repeated listens.