TEMPO

It is safe to say that this album, the Banda do Sol's debut entitled Tempo, is the greatest surprise I had this year. I got this album because the cover made me curious about what behind it, the albums was somewhat inexpensive and is an album by a Brazilian progressive rock band, which is one of the few ways I can support the scene.

To my surprise, since the very first time I gave it a spin, it completely blew me away, so that it immediately became my undisputed favorite album of the year. They have, literally, everything I could expect from a progressive rock band: familiar style and unfamiliar approach, what leads to some musical innovation.

Probably what made me like them so much is that their style is composed by a miriad if things I like and miss in progressive rock and rock nowadays, but mainly being good blues rock, interesting melody and simple but well written and crafted harmonies. Some of their most noticeable influences, music-wise, are the Beatles, Yes, Pink Floyd, Os Mutantes, O Som Nosso de Cada Dia (in their first album) and O Terço, with a considerable Brazilian flavour.

From those listed, Yes is possibly the biggest influence. Every song in the album has some kind of Yes touch and they even have a tribute song here, entitled Yes Blues, that features various themes from the Fragile album, with a special highlight to the modified opening theme of Heart of Sunrise played by the keyboardist.

Yet a better way to describe their music would be to put together symphonic rock, space rock, psychedelia and blues, always portrayed in a positive and optmistic way.

Lyrics-wise, they appear to be some kind of a fusion of those musical influences, speaking of etheral things such as unconditional love, the space, the sun, the spirit or freedom, the relentless passing of time and age, etc. Everything is nicely delivered with an interesting hippie, or flower power touch. The lyrics also follow the music and mostly have a positive and optmistic tone, which is greatly helped or enphasized by the clear and smooth vocals of Moacir.

Another feature of this album that I greatly appreciate is the production. It is so well done that the music sounds cristal clear without seeming artificial. All the instruments are perfectly balanced and nobody is outshined here, every note played and sung can be listened perfectly. O Tempo also lacks the excesses and flaws of modern producing, such as the ones caused by the loundess war, auto-tuning, etc, what makes the album sound even better when compared to some of its contemporaries.

The instrumental work is really tight and well done, which can be seen best in the live songs, Prana and Mahavishnu.

For me, it is clear that the Banda do Sol's album Tempo is one of the best examples of great traditional and innovative progressive rock going around in our days. The band managed to get something that we are familiar with and deliver in such a fresh and unexpected way that I find it impossible not to like this album, specially when it features only things that I like in progressive rock. The music is absolutely perfect for me and, in spite of some minor (but forgetable and forgivable) flaws in the lyrics, I would not change a thing here

This is surely material for a perfect rating.

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