RÉPONSE INCONGRUE À L'INÉLUCTABLE

Lazuli makes music that flies, like a beautiful big bird, soaring in the air, many coloured wings spread, like a rainbow. It is one of the greatest progressive rock groups of this millennium, with their very unique sound, defined not in the last place by the use of Leode (self invented synthesizer-guitar) and more known but still not very often played Warr guitar. Add to this mix marimba and vibraphone and of course all the necessary guitars and drums to make the picture complete. Their composing is strong and dense, and the tunes are unforgettable. It is nice to see that the guys become still more famous in Europe and America last years. They started to travel a lot outside France and take part in many progressive rock festivals, like Symforce in Holland, Rites of Spring in States, Night of the Prog and Zappanale in Germany.

The latest effort of the band, "Réponse incongrue à l'inéluctable" issued in 2009 is, just like the predecessor from 2007 "En Avant Doute?", a masterpiece. It is again, one piece of beautiful music, there's no one composition or a part of it that could be left out. It is one of those records, which you listen in one breath. And then you think: is it already over? Give me more of that stuff! Quite addictive.

Among the high points I would like to mention the second number, "On nous comme on respire". Lazuli already played this one a year ago, on their show in Spirit of 66 in Verviers, Belgium in September 2008. I was lucky to be there and was very impressed by the song. At home, it sounds great as well. It has an Arabian twist and a children's choir in it, and quite intriguing intermezzo, where even the voices of contemporary politicians talking about environment (guess who?) don't bother the listener and actually don't spoil the number. It should be said, that even missing the meanings of the French lyrics, I love the record, just for it's grand music. Or is it just the opposite: because I don't understand the lyrics? May be, it's too political? or naïve? Well, it is for the French-speaking progheads among us to find out.

Number 3, "La vie par la face nord" has a bluesy, tragic singing of the vocalist and front man Dominique Leonetti. It is wonderfully filled in by xylophone and guitar, both instruments carrying the song, and the Leode solo that kicks in and brings the song to the higher highs towards the ending.

The other special song I would like to mention here is "La belle noirceur ? epilogue". It has a mother of all electric guitar solo's in it, played by Claude Leonetti on Leode. This is a kind of a solo that sounds just like a revelation. It's like some of historical Fripp's work, haunting and flying. You understand listening such a solo: there is no other way to play it here: everything is as right as it could get. It is beautiful in it's weird perfection, or, if you prefer, it's perfect weirdness. I would even dare to say: only this solo is enough motivation to buy the album.

My impression is, that on this album, comparing to the predecessors, there's less of Leode and more of electrical guitar in the arrangements, which I personally regret. Electric guitar, played by Gédéric Byar, sounds also great of course, and Byar produces some fantastic solo's as well. But Leode, it is Lazuli's hallmark, and my personal opinion is, that there should be much more of it.

"Réponse incongrue à l'inéluctable" is a beautiful example of how a progressive rock should be: original, daring, raw and at the same time nicely polished. Lazuliennes treat us once again on a piece of tasty and spiced up music, that is almost impossible to compare with anybody else's. It is still 9 of 10, and after all said, it's tricky to explain, why not all 10 of them. May be, it's only my too high expectations from Lazuli, after the former two albums. I guess, the progressive rocker should not stay on one place, he or she should progress, explore new territories, fly further on.