ANIMA ANIMUS

This group from San Remo has a great story to tell, formed in 1972 and releasing the legendary classic Il Principe del Giorno, with its effusive mellotron-painted landscapes, garnering rave reviews and cult status in the process. They disbanded in 1977, reformed briefly in 1991-1992 for two middling albums that fared poorly in comparison to their debut and promptly vanished from the scene. Drummer and keyboardist Ciro Perrino went on to reboot Celeste in 2019 with "Il Risveglio del Principe", a well-received return to past glories that kickstarted a series of releases such as "Il Principe del Regno Perduto" a year later. With the stunning 2022 album "Celestial Symphony Orchestra" , this stellar band kept raising the bar until achieving the impossible, surpassing their debut with the thundering beauty of last year's "Echi di Un Futuro Passato", one of my top choices for that year. It must be stated that the solid new crew of deft drummer Enzo Cioffi, Francesco Bertone on athletic bass and Mauro Vero on assorted guitars keep the pace tightly majestic but where the biggest 'leap forward' is to be found, lies in the important addition of flutes, recorders and saxophones , courtesy of Marco Moro, thus daubing a jazzier element that is simply, well, celestial! Throughout their career, the explosive mellotron reigned supreme and thankfully, it still shines brightly throughout all the arrangements on this new album "Anima Animus", the jazzier component further elevated with add brass guests on trombone, bass tuba, clarinet and , yes, more sax! Ciro mans the keyboard arsenal, not only the fabled white monster but also mythical instruments like the Solina string Ensemble and Eminent synths, made famous among countless others by Pink Floyd. Throw in an ARP 2600, Oberheim OBA and EMS AKS synthesizers and the deal is done.

The title track ignites the shimmering mellotron lantern, as if to remind us that what began once long ago has never left. Acoustic guitar, piano, bass and drums all playfully gather around the brisk atmosphere, where the delicately pastoral flute expands the aura with an elegant buildup towards a gigantic melody, symphonic prog at its finest. This wealth of serenity is the ideal platform for extended solos from the elegant piano (Marco Canepa) and delirious saxophone forays from Mirco Rebaudo and Paolo Maffei. The outro reaches into experimental realms where a vaporous tone shows the door to heaven.

Technically robust, the bold and brazen delivery on "Roots and Leaves" has an incredible pulse, with a slight hint of that Jason Bourne soundtrack melody, the bouncy piano careening delicately with the choppy percussives, the rolling bass keeping the tires adhering to the tarmac, steered by the vivid flute racing into the twilight, like a prancing black horse on a speed mission. The turbo charged sax backfiring until the mellotron sweeps in to take the checkered flag.

Percolating syncopation introduces the next chapter, the appropriately titled "Cosmic Carnival", an intoxicating festival of beats, guided by an up-front and to die for elastic bass line, twinkling piano and the airy brass and flute needed to keep the groove going. The piano takes the center stage as it carves the main melody with razor sharp precision, in alliance with the delirious flute for a brief interlude, before reverting to the previous shuffle. That bewitching bass is just pure sorcery and when the clarinet makes its appearance, what a sound to behold! Prog jazz symphonic prog, a new label is born.

The 9 minutes of "De Rerum Natura" harkens back to more orchestral backdrops, a carefully crafted pastoral composition that sits clearly in a more keyboard-centric classical vein, the bucolic main theme emerging after a long gestation period. The rhythmic sidebar is stately, there only to punctuate and underline, with a flurry of crashing cymbals. The theme returns for another reminder, a soothing piece of music that relocates the mind to another level.

Singer Ines Aliprandi takes out the microphone on the seductive "Lilith", an impressive scat-vocal that interferes perfectly with the space warble of colliding synthesizer cascades, a cosmic voyage that is sliced open with a thunderous lead guitar solo from Mauro Vero, and an equally abundant brass interplay that reaches back in time to some garden in Eden.

Back to the land of percussive puzzlement on "El Mundo Perdido", a rhythmic world of exotic sounds and lush soundscapes, featuring delicate 12 string guitars (Davide Mocini) and more vocalizations from Ines, a sublime bass interference with 'mellotronic' backdrop that adds intensity as well as beauty to the sound palette, and an overall sense of a tranquil journey in a lost world. The echoing choir effects are dazzling. 'Doobie-doobie-do' vocal on "Secret Crime" is nothing short of tongue in cheek humour in lieu of the title, a trait that characterizes the Italian culture, as it was never a country but rather will always be a grand theatre, as my grandfather once taught me. The Bertone bass highlights the lighthearted dolce vita mindset, the Cioffi drums roll like an Aperol Spritz down the gullet on a hot day.

Closing out with a marathon piece is always the right way to go, "Moon and Cloud Dancing" will take the listener on a dozen minutes of seriously pretty music, starting off as a flute and piano duet, all delicacy and flutter, the core theme leaping out and caressing the soul, acoustic guitars adding to the mellifluous luxuriance. The piano highlights the positive vibe, a most welcome delight, a serene lullaby to reflect on the beautiful things that life has to offer. Halfway through, the torrential string mellotron waves enter the fray, raising the atmosphere to heavenly heights, the operatic vocalizations appear once again and the flute signifies the eventual farewell as the night arrives, both the stars and the vapours enlaced in a tight and loving embrace, waiting for the sun to rise again.

Another fascinating chapter in this storied career, unafraid to endlessly evolve into new sonic regions, while maintaining their dedication to elegant symphonic prog undertakings. Intelligent, thoughtful, and eternally pleasing panacea for the tired 21st century mind , just plain gorgeous music.

5 peaceful souls

The phoenix that is Celeste continues to fly high on its computer keyboard-enriched Prog Lite / NeoProg sound palette. Here the band adds flutist Marco Moro to its full-time cast.

1. "Anima Animus" (8:40) syrupy symphonic Prog Lite schlock. (17.33333/20) 2. "Roots and Leaves" (5:40) something sophisticated and jazzy! I never expected anything like this--especially after hearing all of the album's other songs. Parts of it could almost come from a LAGARTIJA album or perhaps even a NOVICENTO album. (8.875/10) 3. "Cosmic Carnival" (6:59) a little creativity and life showing in this one. (13.25/15) 4. "De Rerum Natura" (9:03) opening with piano like something from a classic classical music piece or perhaps a Broadway musical. Joined by synths the piano then takes a different turn to exhibit a new motif which is joined by guitars, flutes, and the rest of the band. The piano part throughout sounds so much like a kid practicing scales--even through the rather rough edits and splices. I like this one most for its feel of being founded in classical music--though at times it's as annoying as a theme song from a long-running television show. (8.875/10) 5. "Lilith" (6:32) interesting late-1970s/1980s techno/New Wave music that reminds me of The Buggles and Claire Hammill's "Icicle Rain" from her all-voice-generated album, Voices from 1986. (8.6667/10) 6. "El Mundo Perdido" (6:44) a percussion opening that reminds me of MICKEY HART's world music creations facilitated through his Planet Drum albums. Yes, this is definitely more befitting a 1980s World Music smooth jazz album. I was into this music from about 1984 through 1990 and would have definitely purchased an album like this back then. Nice and melodic, but now too schlocky for me. (13/15) 7. "Secret Crime" (6:25) an opening that sounds like a classically-inspired pop-jazz song using both Satie, Minimalism, Mark Isham, and Laurie Anderson for examples. Surprisingly enjoyable even if it is rather schlocky (like something from a MANHATTAN TRANSFER album). (8.875/10) 8. "Moon and Cloud Dancing" (12:01) (syrupy symphonic Prog Lite schlock. The prog-by-numbers drum play is almost sickening. (21/25)

Total Time 62:04

B-/3.5 stars; a pleasant, nice-sounding album of fairly simple, often schlocky tunes that, to my mind, fails to live up to the hype it's been given.