NIMAL

"Une Lucie" launches right into Euro folkways, with bright instrumentation--I heard bouzouki is featured, and its clearly heard for a solo (by bandleader Momo Rossel? could be three peoples) approaching 2:00--and more prominently accordion. Quirky rhythms, all full-steam ahead, a happy collision of bowed and plucked strings and percussion. This is the style in which, I always immediately think, Estradasphere has a home. At the close, it's pure drama, all dropping down deeper than half-time; just made this great opening track even moreso. Tension picks back up on "In tenda"! Our feature soloist from the start is Tom Cora (Curlew, Skeleton Crew, The Ex) on the cello, at times performing in a most alien manner. Delicious; spunky, funky oddity. "Sale temps, mais les couleurs sont belles" is next, an eerie number befit with creepy crawlers and Art Zoyd ambience best to psych you out. Percussion picks up and up, and we relax into more East-Euro tune (harmonically, to the Patton nerds, reminiscent of "John Travolta/Quote Unquote"). Quite a lot more lighthearted is "Tarotska"; the accordion just goes and goes, now with even more yodeling! It's still pretty mad haha.

Turning over to an apparently new page, "Le Soleil" picks up with brightness and queer optimism. It definitely feels more like a traditional/folk dance; but its silly nature is definitely an additional winning factor. Being yanked back to some slightly more tension, next is "La marelle". Shoutout indeed due to drummer-percussionist Pippin Barnett, also of Curlew; he really holds down each track's individual uniqueness. "Le 4eme jeudi de la semaine" is a track for which I'm incredibly grateful, an unexpected reprieve. Beautiful and mysterious. "James River" has a cool vibe, but there's something about it that felt a tad monotonous and grating, sharp/harsh melodies aside. A total release must occur following that, as "Maligne" thereafter is peaceable, for starters, but still oddly tense. Maybe it's a little early for some of this music haha. This is followed appropriately by "Le 2eme Jeudi", a solo taken up on, I assume, accordion; it doesn't not sound like melodica (either way, assumed by Slovenia's Bratko Bibic of Begnagrad). Definitely more traditional Euro-folk than it is RIO, but no fear...

"Le 3eme Jeudi" (the tracks translating to "The 4th...", "...2nd..." and "...3rd Thursday", respectively) is here, with a great return of bouzouki. Another case of who's-who, assuming the great, more prominent (though still muddy) bass is from Jean-Vincent Huguenin. Definitely a favorite track of the whole. Another with more digestible tension is "Animal triste". "Le Tram" to follow reads 'so Eastern European' to my ears, it is carnival; frankly, I've always loved this sort of thing. It eventually devolves still happily into a certain madness. Under more control, we haven't left the nuthouse, in my head haha, on "Au Zoo" ("At The Zoo", how fitting). I don't think my memory is lacking here: another I identify as sort of proto-Estradasphere. Low, slow and dramatic, this'n. And finally, after a whopping 14 tracks, we get "Un drame", initially low and slow, evoking sort of worldly tribal intensity. It's got balls, even with the instruments down lowest. Percussion is absolutely winning here, though, as compared with most of the album. And a solid closer all round, at that, the intensity crescendoing steadily throughout to a sudden halt.

True Rate: 3.75/5.00

Nimal are described in our Bio as something of a Rio supergroup whose member's various groups were influenced by older bands like Samla Mammas, Univers Zero, and Henry Cow. They were together only about five years but managed to tour and release three acclaimed albums. This debut, which was apparently not released on CD, is said to be not quite as fully realized as the latter two. If true, it blows my mind, because this is some intensely creative music.

"Nimal" is like walking into a snowstorm. At first jarring as the freezing wind blown snow hits your face. But later as you acclimate to it, walking in the winter becomes serene, a little bit of contemplative despite the chaos.

The cacophony of standard rock instruments and exotic ones are seemingly being crashed randomly by children, but as with other good avant releases, a little patience and a few more plays will pay off. The most ambitious track is the 10-minute opener entitled "La semaine des quatre jeudis" which is all over the map, sometimes it feels like an insane wedding soundtrack, very cinematic. The odd feel is courtesy of the hurdy-gurdy and the bouzouki employed by Rossel. Equal measures menacing, exhilarating, confusing, and dramatic, the piece feels like a great drunk one moment and the hangover the next.

I also enjoyed "Animal Triste" where there are wordless choral vocals sampled over the intense noise. It's like a life boat. The same with the cello on the closer "Maligne" which is quite the departure. Its calming strokes and deliberate pace nicely bring one in from the snowstorm and allow you to sink in front of the fireplace.

While not my favorite album by any means, "Nimal" is the kind of discovery I still enjoy. It's wonderful something so rare can now be heard online by the next generation. Avant and Rio fans will love this group.

Indeed, the album is dragging its feet almost from start to end, with a few jolts of ideas here and there, but those never last long and are too few and rare in between. One must wait for the first real burst (outside the slightly interesting Grand Carré) until the ninth track to get some kind of enthusiastic energy but with the help of the electric guitar and some definitely trickier music a bit out of the ordinary of this album. From that moment, the album seems to pick up a bit more energy: the following Assault and Ba(a)l , the good closing Campagnes and the prophetic Ce Qu'il En Reste (what's left of it) tracks are semi- highlights (but déjà-vu from the previous album), it is too little too late to save the album, even if it ends better than it started.

Although I might appear harsh, especially after Voix De Surface, this album is way too filled with accordion for me to ever like it fully, so I'd rather not even try, past this review. Try thr previous one first, then if you really dig it, then you might want to check this ou, because there is worthy stuff in it as well.

Just like L'ER, this group uses predominantly acoustic instruments (only a few electric guitars), but the music is much more twisted, much wilder and more challenging for the casual listener. If it could appear that L'ER was a bit light on prog rock contents, Nimal certainly changed that and they sound a bit like a crazier Miriodor crossing Alamaailman Vasarat, the presence of the accordion helping on this last reference. The instrumental music (certainly not described by the album's title) veers from Circus music to atonal (even abstract at times) music to a rather positive (and happy) kind of Univers Zero. Interference Sardine is also not far.

Most of the tracks are quite energetic, some even reaching diabolical and frenetic pace with the cellos going nuts (James River), some even reaching infernal chaos (Animal Triste's start) others are radiant and happy (Le Soleil and La Marelle), but the huge majority of the Rossel-penned tracks are very impressive.

Personally if you ask me, I find Nimal much better than L'ER, even if they will be much less of a cup of tea of your non-prog entourage, but then again as most progheads come from a rock background, chances are that you will not really play L'ER or Nimal to your buddies, but your chances to get laid are better with L'ER. An excellent album, but not one to recommend to newcomers of the Avant/RIO realm, Voix De Surface is Nimal's best shot at Prog history. Haunting and just short of stunning!!!