MINUIT VILLE

Mostly mellow and string synth laden symphonic prog, "Minuit Ville" is yet another late 1970s offering from the French progressive scene. While Ange and Mona Lisa dramatics do appear, particularly in the opening track and the intro to the finale, SYNOPSIS generally occupies a more delicate and ambient niche that do the godfathers of the scene. They do not sound like a knock-off of any groups of their age, even if RPI forces also play a role.

Michel Bail sings in a near falsetto which actually suits the fragility of the melodies, particularly on the highlight, "Desert", which features the most assertive song structure and memorable tune of the disk, with a majestic shift from verse to chorus, and a shimmering synth section leading to a more intricate bass-led closing passage. While keyboards do dominate, Christian Hoff makes his presence felt often enough, particularly in "Ville D'Oracle", which begins in almost jazzy fits and starts before his gentle arpeggios introduce the sung portion, after which his lead sashays atop an Alan Parsons styled bass riff. He reveals more prowess on "Melodie Saoule", and here Michel Resler's bass is far more inventive, and the rhythm more complex.

If I may provide a brief closing synopsis, this debut may be a tad too timid for some, but is recommended to those who enjoy the mellower proponents of the sub genre, conveyed with continental class . 3.5 stars.