GURANFOE

I loved Guranfoe's debut album, so I was expecting to at the very least like this long-awaited second album. I admit a small niggle of doubt, though, based purely on the fact that this is an album clearly rooted in Guranfoe's own past. The band began as Gumbo Variations, before changing their name to Guranfoe, and it is easy to see Gumbo Gumbo as being "Gumbo (Variations) 2", as they revisit some of their oldest and earliest performed material. Indeed, you can easily find all of the five tracks that make up this album spread among many of the live recordings on Guranfoe's Bandcamp page. The show at The Royal Standard, Lowestoft, on 15th December 2012 even has all five, performed in the same order they appear on Gumbo Gumbo. And that is as good a place as any to see how much the band has grown, and how far these new recordings leave the early performances behind. Not least, because Guranfoe have definitely grown into their own sound. As I suggested in my review of the Sum of Erda debut, a lot of their earlier live material was consummately played, but betrayed too much of their influences. It's not a bad thing, and particularly if one enjoys those influences anyway, but Sum of Erda definitely sounded, to me, more like a band happy in its own skin, so I was wary about the band returning to their beginnings for the second album. I should not have been. This album sounds as gorgeous as its cover art looks.

What we get over these five revisited pieces are some technically brilliant interplay reminiscent of a collision between Zappa and Camel. A fusion of folk, jazz and Canterbury that is as psychedelic as it is prog, intensely melodic and easy to listen to, despite its many intricacies, chord changes and tempo variations. As per my review for the debut, while the guitar playing is an obvious focal point and guide, I can't help but be entranced by the rhythm section, who hold it all in check, and virtually lead from the rear. As with their debut, the core quartet of Guranfoe is augmented by guest musicians, whose presence is judicious, and therefore impactful rather than intrusive. Too often a guest musician can be distracting to my ears, but this is certainly not the case with Guranfoe. My favourite guest musician on Sum of Erda was Rob Milne, who played flute and clarinet. He's back again, this time providing flute and saxophone. I absolutely love his contributions.

Listening to the five tracks and comparing them to earlier recordings it is clear that they are not identical. Guranfoe have not simply re-recorded these numbers but added to them, and changed them to reflect how the band sounds now. There has always been a fine line between improvisation and composition to my ears, when it comes to Guranfoe - so it's potentially misleading to suggest that new material has been written for these pieces, so much as the pieces themselves have evolved. Their origin is recognisable, but certain passages are not. So even those who might claim to know Guranfoe's discography like the back of their hand (and that would be quite a feat, considering how many releases are available to listen to on Bandcamp) will find something new in these "old" tunes. Ultimately, I still find myself a little ambivalent about Gumbo Gumbo. I absolutely love it, but it's not going to overtake Sum of Erda in my affections, and I kind of wish Guranfoe had followed up that album with something more along the same lines. On the other hand, it leaves me hanging out for album number three, and holding out hope that I might yet get my wish fulfilled.

The band is a quartet composed of James Burns (electric & acoustic guitars), Ollie Snell (electric, acoustic & lap steel guitars), Robin Breeze (bass, piano, organ & synths) and Joe Burns (drums, percussion, piano & synths), with some session musicians that complete the beautiful work with violins, flutes, clarinets, etc.

Five tracks clocking slightly over 36mins in total with my highlights being:

- Night's First Light

- Etsinta Harvest in the Thar Sands

There's some Jethro Tull influences as well as Gentle Giant can also be felt at spots, folky and heavy with a very intricate communion between all instruments, flawless transitions and somehow memorable music. A great and easy listen for all music lovers, specially those attracted to instrumental music, jazz fusion rock and progressive music in general. Highly recommended!

There are many bands playing the almost oxymoronic styled retro-prog, and few do it in a way that interests me. If the music is too honorific, derivative or comparable with the greats of the past, I can't really see the point. Young Norwich band Guranfoe, on the other hand, have surprised me with their thoroughly modern sounding jazz fusion, referencing classic prog. It doesn't sound at all stuck in the past, and as well as sounding modern, the band sounds overwhelmingly happy. It is hard for me to imagine the young, talented musicians of Guranfoe playing the technical and complicated music they do without having fun and smiles on their faces. I certainly have a smile on my face when I'm listening. As Guranfoe are a band quite local to me, I guess I will hopefully soon have an opportunity to see if the smiles are there when they play live!

Although Sum of Erda is the debut album from Guranfoe, their Bandcamp reveals they have been around for a good few years (eight, if I've worked this out correctly) and have a wealth of Bandcamp albums of rehearsals and live performances to listen to from over those years (I've not counted, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were close to a hundred of these!). That the band have played together for some time is blatantly obvious, a quite brilliant culmination of many years spent playing live. The dual lead guitarists James Burns and Ollie Snell weave in and out of each other, and everyone locks into the groove and jams. There is as much psychedelic rock in Sum of Erda as there is progressive rock.

However, having just stated that the years of playing live shows in the band's sound, I do have to say that, having listened to a few of the performances on offer on Bandcamp, Guranfoe have cultivated a studio sound that is actually quite distinct and different from their live sound. Yes, the time signatures are still forever changing, and yes, there is an obvious love for playing adventurous and exciting music, but this is far more Guranfoe's own sound. And I love it! There are passages throughout where one instrument or another dominates, showing just how talented every musician in the band is. Added to the mix are additional musicians (on woodwind, strings and percussion) who add flavour in sparing quantities. I have to admit that much of the time I find myself grooving along to the rhythm section of Robin Breeze and Joe Burns, and when they take their turns to be upfront, it's pretty amazing stuff.

The cover art, which I particularly like, lends a pastoral air that the music only hints at, in brief moments. Those pastoral passages are, as expected, quite beautiful ' and also provide moments of quiet and restraint after the full-on fusion jams. One of my favourite such moments is at the end of the third track, Karu Vatsarin (which, by the way, is probably my favourite track on the album and a perfect centrepiece), leading into the equally gentle Etsinta Visions. This is the shortest track of the album by some way, and (for me, at least) works more as an extended coda to Karu Vatsarin than anything else, despite its title seeming to have more in common with the following track.

Etsinta Harvest in the Thar Sands is a quite incredible closing track, which plays out almost like a suite. The final four minutes are almost mindblowing, coming after the intricate and contemplative, almost classical beginning of the track. It's a punchy and uplifting way to top off what has been a journey of joyful energy from beginning to end. I'm sure there was probably a concept in there somewhere (the song titles, if nothing else, suggest this), but I'm not sure what it was. When the music is as carefree and as good as this, it really doesn't matter. I choose to just go with the flow, and Guranfoe make it very easy to do so, taking me along with them on a magic carpet ride of psychedelic bliss. I've never done drugs, but I can get high on music.

Guranfoe live seem to rely a lot on the seemingly endless creative energy of the band to improvise. For this studio release ' although there is definitely still a tendency to jam out ' the improvisations are clearly held in check. The band sounds tight and focused, yet still overflowing with energy and vitality. The five instrumental pieces are rich and varied, maintaining interest throughout. Each track has its own identity and sound, combining the warm tones of '70s prog with grittier, more modern tones. Retro-prog this is not. I sincerely hope this band find some degree of success and recognition, as they deserve it.

What we have here could be considered the most accurate definition of 'eclectic prog' IMO. You can hear bits from 70s symphonic prog, avant/canterbury, space & psychedelic prog, jazz-fusion rythms and folk, all mixed together masterfully. The great achevement of this album is not to sound derivative of any of those styles in particular and being an extremely original piece of music that flows incredibly well.

Favourite tracks: Eventide and Night's First Light, which are true eclectic gems.

Four big stars, I can't wait to hear more from this band. Highly recommended to fans of 70s prog rock.

What Guranfoe manage to achieve on 'Sum Of Erda' is a wonderful balance between the heady atmospheres and genuine feel of 1970's prog groups, and current styles. It's easy to tell that the group are genuine prog enthusiasts, and have learnt from the masters, encapsulating things that made early-days prog brilliant and fusing them with their own modern sensibility, and the best part is that it doesn't sound copycat or stale in any way. There isn't a second on the album that reminds me too much of something else, nor are there any moments that feel like they're trying too hard to sound authentic. These guys aren't attempting to figure out what prog is - they're just living it.

The album itself is a luscious painting of sound, featuring a strong core band, and augmented by other instrumentalists that bring vital elements to the mix. While no songs feature vocals, their musicianship shines through and makes for very interesting and enjoyable tracks nonetheless, moving through sections that both compliment and contrast, at times. Discordant guitars, heavenly flutes, crashing drums, vibraphones and a whole array of instruments are present across the album, and not a single one is unnecessary or out of place - everything serves a perfect purpose, merging to create a wonderful canvas of music. It's an album that goes down easily, pleasing to the ear, and feels quite polished, without being overly so. Overall, I think Guranfoe are very good at what they do, and if this is the first studio offering from them, I can't wait to see what comes next.