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Happy 55 - Magic Word CD (album) cover

MAGIC WORD

Happy 55

 

RIO/Avant-Prog

3.63 | 10 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Neu!mann
Prog Reviewer
3 stars The second Happy 55 album served up more of their agitated avant-classical Math Jazz, but with a significant change since the band's 2008 debut: the original piano/drum team had expanded to a trio, with clarinet player Gennady Chuhklov now firmly installed as a permanent member of the group.

The (mostly) acoustic music is still carried by the hyperactive virtuosity of pianist Yaroslav Borisov, a whirlwind talent equal to any keyboardist in these Archives. His staccato technique, played at a typically restless tempo, lacks a certain emotional warmth, to be sure. But some discreet synthesizer textures later in the album add a subtle wash of pastel color to what can sometimes be a colorless academic exercise, at times matching the austere monochrome palette of the album cover art.

The added electronic juice works like mild shot of adrenalin to some already lively and complex musical arrangements. Note the reprise here from the debut album of the song "Generous Fernando", given new life by the wider range of instrumentation. And the avant-rock title track includes an unexpected synth-bass guitar sound, pointing the way toward future Happy 55 sessions.

Listen closely and you might hear the trio actually having fun with their uncompromising music. The pristine audio-vérité production makes it sound live in the studio, and provides a thrilling sense of immediacy to an otherwise difficult album, invigorating in detail but, like its predecessor, a little tiring to finish in a single sitting.

Consider it a four-star album with three-star appeal, containing highly refined music for highly refined tastes.

Neu!mann | 3/5 |

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