PRIMA MATERIA

Veteran Swedish instrumental progmatists release their fourth studio album since their 2014 debut.

1. "Lust och fägring (Sommarvisan)" (14:30) great opening motifs, conjuring up reminders of CAMEL, CARAVAN, KHAN, and even THE DOORS. Then we move into the blues-jazzier side of the band's stylistic preferences with a VAN MORRISON/J TULL-sounding motif. When things speed back up I'm reminded more of CARAVAN or SANTANA. Then, at 8:25, we slide into a more contemplative groove--albeit one that is cruising along while the guitars and flutes up top mesmerize us. All the treble instruments build in collective volume to form a weave that coalesces with some BEATLES-like wordless background vocals singing beneath the CLAPTON-like guitar shredding. At 11:00 we turn left at the Y and start a steady race down the dirt road toward the river-side hippy commune, jamming some pop-jazzy Latin melodies along the way (especially on that sexy flute)--until we've arrived (or thought we had: the music fades as if we've descended into the woods out of view but then returns in a cool continuation and finish of the drive). Excellent, cheerful, very entertaining jam. (29/30)

2. "Under bar himmel" (10:19) a familiar Billie Joel melody ("New York State of Mind") gives this CAMEL opening an oddly comforting Golden Gate Park Hippie feel--just another day playing and partying on the grass in the golden California sun. Int he fourth minute the speed shifts and we find ourselves fully engaged in a KHAN-CARAVAN romp through the park--probably on bikes. The soloing lead guitar makes me believe we've crossed the Bridge to the other side and are cruising on motorcycles on the country roads of the Marin County Headlands--perhaps on our way to Black Sands Beach. Definitely catching a vibe as we languish on the Beach, enjoying the lazy afternoon and hazy hallucinogen-enhanced campfire cookout. A nearly perfect day! (18.5/20)

3. "Ur askan" (10:28) opens with organ and full band in CAMEL-sounding weave. In the second minute an odd klezmerish motif takes over, trying to be rhythmed Latinly or maybe Reggae-ish. Not my favorite passage as I am not much of a fan of either klezmer or Reggae music. At 3:25 there is an odd syncopated bridge that takes us into a more Eastern European/Finnish motif (which is not far away from the previous klezmer/Reggae one). I like this motif much better. At 4:50 then we seem to be going in a heavier SANTANA direction, but then we suddenly go back to the klezmer/Reggae motif and then back to the Eastern European motif at the end of the sixth minute. A solid song--and well-composed--just not my favorite types of musical styles. At the seven-minute mark the music dies off and we're left with a Gamelan-sounding echo-bass continueing the chord progression from the previous motifs while flutist Jenny Puertas sings in a somewhat-operatic voice (in Spanish) before the band returns with some PROCOL HARUM/CAMEL/KHAN instrumental sounds and soloing from the electric guitar and organ. (17.5/20)

4. "Så ock på Jorden" (7:17) acoustic guitar strumming (recorded from a microphone--which I love) is accompanied by whole band singing in wordless vocal weave with a little organ helping out. Then, at 1:05 a very bluesy, rudimentarily constructed PROCOL HARUM-like organ motif is launched. Flute eventually accompanies and mirrors the melody lines being played by the Hammond. As this motif develops its folk melody lines are eventually built-up with a very JETHRO TULL-like instrumental palette. The flute melodies that move forward in the fourth minute are, as are often the case on this album, quite Andy Latimer-like--even when the music turns more ALLMAN BROTHERS/JIMMY WEBB/ Midnight Cowboy-like in the fifth minute--a motif that continues with some variations pretty much to the song's end. I like a lot of this song. (13.25/15)

Total Time 42:34

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of instrumental retro-prog rock that has, based on the excellent song structures and whole-band performances on three of the four songs, suddenly become my favorite Agusa album. Highly recommended for all prog lovers!

Lead guitarist Mikael Odesjo has been the only constant in a band that seems to be continually changing members. There's a new drummer on board this time for their latest "Prima Materia" which is studio album number five for these Swedes. One thing that doesn't change is the quality of music this band releases. How unusual is it that on the RYM site each of their albums is rated higher than the one before and on one occasion they're the same, but that just doesn't happen over five records and there's so many varying opinions. So you know what your going to get with this band, those warm retro sounds that bring a nostalgia and feel good vibe but also some great compositions which they seem to be getting better at.

I really like the album cover as well. The flute seems to be the instrument of choice for soloing with the guitar also getting a fair amount of attention. We get four long tracks over 42 plus minutes on this 2023 release. On the first two tracks I felt a strong CAMEL vibe when they are jamming hard with flute over top, pretty cool. That closing track makes me feel like I'm on a journey and when it and the album ends we hear a cat meow. Well when I first heard it I looked at my cat never hearing him sound quite like that and he's looking at the stereo speakers intently so it was like "No way that's on the record!"

There doesn't seem to be a lot of mellotron on here at all but how good is the distorted organ. More please. What I love about this album is how lost in it I can get. These long pieces also surprise when for example we get that Canterbury-like keyboard sound or the mellotron that suddenly rises. A fine guitarist but I would love for them to go more keyboard driven, so many options maybe less modern sounding which I feel the guitar does for them now. Clavinet, spacey synths, mellotron, fender rhodes bring it on!

Anyway I'll have to sit down with there albums one day and come up with some sort of an order. They're all great but all below my favourites of this style performed by ANEKDOTEN, ANGLAGARD, WOBBLER and on and on. A solid 4 stars and the only warmth I felt musically during a very difficult week last week.