LE MYSTÈRE DU GUÉ PUCELLE

ALCO FRISBASS from Rennes, France is an interesting prog band that has found its niche skirting several progressive rock genres yet finding a new sound that exists somewhere in the cracks between. Originally existing as the multi-instrumentalist duo of Fabrice "Chfab" Chouette (keyboards, guitar, vocals, recorder, percussion) and Patrick "Paskinel" Dufour (Fender Rhodes, keyboards, drum programming, chimes) as well as a roster of guest musicians, beginning on the band's second release "Le Bateleur," ALCO FRISBASS has essentially become a trio with the addition of Frédéric "Tourneriff" Chaput (bass, electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards, synths & Modular, percussion).

Eclectically incorporating jazz-fusion and Canterbury Scene sounds with hard rock, symphonic prog and avant-prog, these guys have cranked out some excellent instrumental works (no vocals to be found) and in 2021 have released the third album LE MYSTÈRE DU GUÉ PUCELLE which in addition to the trio listed above features Jean-Luc Payssan on classical guitar, sitar, mandolin and wordless voices which are barely detectable. This album features five tracks with a classic vinyl playing length of just under 45 minutes. While there are interesting nuances which keep ALCO FRISBASS in its own world, for the most part LE MYSTÈRE DU GUÉ PUCELLE falls into the world of jazz-fusion and reminds me most of a long list of jazz-fusion bands of late 1970s Germany that placed emphasis on jamming and improvisation.

While comparisons to National Health and the Canterbury legends have been made, it seems that the Canterbury connection is closest to that of Gilgamesh which featured a light breezy sorta jazz-fusion style in classic Canterbury form whereas some of the symphonic prog attributes seem to have come from the Anglagard world although pastoral folky parts a la classic Genesis and even Caravan can be heard from time to time. Exclusively instrumental with a few wordless vocal parts mostly on "Pulsar," this album navigates the world of jazz-fusion with extra flavorings sprinkled in to keep things humming along. Only the opening title track exceeds ten minutes with the others hovering between 7 and 10 which means there is plenty of time to jam and improvise!

Overall LE MYSTÈRE DU GUÉ PUCELLE is a very retro sounding album reminding me of many of the Kraut fusion bands of the 1970s including Et Cetera, From, Passport, Sunbirds, Catch Up, Munju and even at times the more rock oriented side of Kraan. This is indeed a pleasant album to chill out to but in the end it doesn't have enough original content to distinguish itself from countless other similar acts that have come and gone over the decades. Pleasant and pleasing but ultimately there's not really a lot here that would make me want to come back for repeat visits. Let's face it. The bar has been raised substantially in the 2020s for all kinds of prog and to simply go through the motions without radically forging new paths will get you lost in the crowded house of newcomers. Definitely a band worth checking out of fusion lovers.

3.5 rounded down