TERRENO BALDIO

Very nice Brazilian (Brazil must be mentioned) Gentle Giant, like they say, and I sign it. Maybe too light and somehow loose for my taste, but the "influences" are so wide here, in a very mixed pack that isn't really anything because it's all so mixed up (like Gentle Giant).

To me this sounds more (or maybe both equally in the whole album) Premiata Forneria Marconi (first two tracks are light and symphonic "pop") than Gentle Giant, at least until Despertar (3.) comes. It starts with jazz fusion (a bit like Finnforest), but is very GG-like (well, there's also refreshing Tarkus-like keyboard solo); bass patterns, almost all sounds and light vocals - like it was sometimes even strongly plagiarizing GG (partially the melodies can be very similar). But there's much Brazilian and jazzy things here in this album, (even very slightly zeuhlish - listen to band Eskaton and compare it to Este é o Lugar (7.) at 4:30), for example in delicate vocals and rhythms (upbeat with slower swing etc) reminds me of Bacamarte, and of course the echoes of samba here and there. The keyboard melodies' structures are sometimes very similar to Genesis. Also the folky part of GG is present, for example Grite (8.) sounds more prog folk than most that are considered o be that style and the song changing from Songs From The Wood to a some kind of waltz. Band eclects from bossanova to

Água que Corre (4.) has some irritating tunes sang, and this GG-pop doesn't really get me liking it. It should be more bombastic, not bombastic in a light form.

A Volta (5.) is compact and attacking light (well, bossanova inspirited like the whole album is) samba (in GG form again, of course, so it really isn't samba after all) and this language is beautiful and it just sounds love (By the way, listen to Elza Soares). Actually, the beginning sound more like chamber rock and arabic music.

Quando as Coisas Ganham Vida (6.) is quite weird (and short but tight), like folk music (the melodies and rhythms, not the instruments) from a place that isn't really existing, a bit monumental and oriental.