INFUSION

It's a mystery. Eh, I smell some intent here. You'll find sources where the album counts seven songs, others eight though. The latter are listing the opener On Misty Mountains and Downstream as seperate entries. So does the associated label Sireena Records. And then, to make it even more complicated, regular member or not, occasionally second guitarist Maik Scheling is missing in the line up. Well, never mind, this does not affect the musical flow in the end, that's comforting in any case. RUBBER TEA is a relatively new band on the prog stage with the homebase in Bremen, Germany.

Their debut album offers a sophisticated and profound mixture of styles, to name psychedelic, canterbury, jazz, neo and art rock ... very appealing. Also a rich instrumentation is to state on 'Infusion', presented by the six (or five actually?) regular members, plus some guest musicians. Vanessa Gross contributes a voice nicely matching to the instrumental counterpart. As well as sax, flute, and additional percussion on top. Overall this is a quite charming and relaxed multi-layered experience, with the song Storm Glass reaching for the artistical peak. A mysterious computer animated voice leads into some dramatic moments here, Mellotron, synths and a nice canterburyesce backing are serving the opposite pole. Fantastic!

Opulent use of wind instruments on The Traitor, polyphonic vocals when it comes to The Drought. 'Make America Great Again!' ... what are you associating now? ... American Dream then obviously draws references to the political situation in the US, is capturing insanity and confusion of recent history and current present. Some may be unsure, but the new RUBBER TEA turns out to be very tasty actually. Skilled compositions, entertaining implementation, and last but not least equipped with a colourful cover art - regarding 'Infusion' let me transfer congrats and proggy greetings to Bremen! Waiting for another new type of tea to enjoy now.

What an extraordinary band this is, a young German ensemble crafting stunning progressive rock. While some categorize them as neoprog, I respectfully disagree; they defy convention in a manner quite distinct from the norm. Describing them proves challenging, but I would liken them to a fusion of Big Big Train and Zopp (British Canterbury), infused with unmistakable echoes of Pink Floyd, Beardfish, and occasional visits from the likes of King Crimson. Their allure doesn't reveal itself immediately; they demand time and attention, but the investment pays dividends. By the third listen, I find myself sporting a silly grin, utterly enthralled by this unique and enchanting group. Their vocalist is a marvel, effortlessly navigating between rock and jazz-infused melodies, occasionally toying with tone and rhythm. Adding to their allure, she also wields the saxophone, imbuing their compositions with an extra layer of depth. Their debut album is a veritable feast of captivating melodies, audacious experimentation, and sheer musical brilliance. It may, perhaps, appear more subdued in comparison to subsequent releases, where they push the boundaries even further and embrace greater risks. This is a band that warrants wider recognition, one to which I consistently return. Highly recommended for connoisseurs of exceptional, boundary-defying music.

***edit*** While composing this review, I find myself immersed in the album's melodies. Having done so for nearly two years on a weekly basis, I now recognize the necessity to elevate its rating to a five. Albums that beckon one back time and again, even after years of listening, undoubtedly merit the highest acclaim. At least, that's my perspective.

3.5 stars. "Infusion" is the debut album of RUBBER TEA, a young five piece band out of Bremen, Germany. And I feel that having them listed under Neo Prog just isn't right. We get about ten musicians in total, including the guests who add horns and vibes. A lot of FX pedals in play from the band, in fact there's a long list of instruments credited here. I understand the bassist and keyboardist started writing material in 2017. They formed the band that year, and it took from 2018 to 2020 to complete this recording, production and all.

As you might expect with a bunch of University students, they drink a lot of tea and coffee. And the name RUBBER TEA came when they discovered this neglected cup of brew that had been there so long, the liquid had turned rubbery. And so RUBBER TEA became their band name, and a constant reference to their beginnings. The bass player did the cover art. And it's very detailed and colourful, just like their music. RYM tags this with Neo Canterbury which to my ears is as much a stretch as Neo prog.

This band has so much potential. I feel that this first experience of making an album was a big learning curve. And so there are things here that in my opinion just don't work so well. I understand their followup album "From A Fading World" from 2023 is better than this one on a few levels. And I'm not surprised. I really don't like the processed vocals on "Storm Glass" which sound robotic. I also am not into that final so called instrumental called "American Dream" where they use audio clips throughout to cast America in a bad light. Those are the two most glaring mistakes, in my opinion of course.

One of the cool things they did was to put some art work beside the lyrics for each track in the liner notes. And that final tune "American Dream" has a picture of the statue of liberty in psychedelic colours with monkeys hanging off of it. Again I guess they don't like the USA. Tracks one, three and six have lyrics adapted from literature. And on "Storm Glass" they note that the bass line was inspired by Frank Zappa. Hmmm. We get male and female vocals and while I've spent some time on some of my issues, how about some positives?

That opening track has me excited for the gorgeous melodies this band can produce. It's called "On Misty Mountains" and it has some moving sections. It blends into the next one "Downstream" which is a short instrumental. Could have been one tune. We get those guest vibes on "In Weeping Waters" a tune that is fairly laid back but with a lot of different flavours. I do like "The Traitor", the mood, the melancholy, the determined female vocals. Some soaring guitar as the passion rises. I'm not big on when it turns brighter before 4 minutes though.

"Plastic Scream" and "The Drought" are both done really well. I like the mellotron on the latter, plus there's male vocals and female. The organ as well adds some power as this plays out. I think on this site Crossover might have made more sense for this band, but regardless, the sky is the limit for this talented young group. And I'm curious about the followup to this one, to see what changes were made etc.