THIRD

This is the third full-length album from US band Perhaps and sadly the last one, since in April they communicated in their Facebook fanpage that the project would stop. Anyway, whatever the members decide to do (regarding music) in the future, I wish them good luck. Perhaps was one of the bands I knew thanks to Prog Archives, and whose music came to me due to the internet facilities, so we have to take advantage of this new digital era that allows us to discover a lot of things.

I must admit that my favorite Perhaps release is their debut album, I find it the strongest of them all, and though all are very different each other, I keep the firs one as my preferred. Let me tell you that Perhaps is not a one- genre-band, no, their music offers slices of different scenes, sometimes you will listen to psychedelic rock, sometimes to post-rock, then experimental parts, etc. And this third album is not the exception. So be prepared to this 7-song journey that lasts 36 minutes and that has the collaboration of Kawabata Makoto, the legendary Acid Mother's Temple guitarist.

It opens with "Master Destroyer I", a piece that has a bombastic beginning with some crazy Zappa-esque sounds and some distorted psychedelic guitars. The song flows and continues like a jam, I don't really know if it is a recorded improvisation or was a true composition, however it sounds nice, but not memorable. "Master Destroyer II" is when things slow down a little bit, but also when spacey sounds and Gong-like vocals appear. It is a cosmic trip in which you can close the eyes and transport to another dimension. Besides the guitars and the evident synths, what makes this better is the addition of a saxophone that sounds here and there, in spontaneous moments.

"Butterfly Mirror" continues with that spacey and cosmic sound, with weird vocals and distortions everywhere. I believe one has to be in the mood to dig this, otherwise it would be a difficult journey. The song might not have a true form, and I think it does not need a form, though I admit there are moments where I feel lost, I lose track for a while. Once again, I highlight the use of saxophone in some precious instants. "Dreamland I" starts even crazier, loony, bombastic with a fast rhythm and robotic effects. It has some Ozrics feeling but in moments it is rockier than spacy, well it is a vibrant and energetic journey. "Dreamland II" drastically slows down, it becomes slower and sexier due to that saxophone full of cadency. The music flows and progresses, the special effects bring that inherent cosmic atmosphere and the guitars put the psychedelic and in moments stoner rock vibe.

"Donzo's Montreaux" has much more keyboards in the beginning than in the whole album. Then another trip starts, guitar becomes main character and provides endless riffs while a heavy, psych and powerful background is created. After three minutes some loony voices can be heard. I think that addition of Makoto really influenced Perhaps, I mean, this album could be one of the Acid Mothers catalogue. The final song is "Sleepwalker" and starts very softly, spacey and relaxing at first. While the seconds pass more elements are being added, creating different atmospheres and offering now a sound closer to post-rock. I think this is my favorite moment of the album.

A nice effort by Perhaps, an album full of nuances and trips, but that I think lacks of memorable moments, of a solid passage that makes it unique. Anyway, one can spend 36 nice minutes listening to it.

Enjoy it!