CONCIERTO DE EVOCACI?N SONORA

After the warm reception for Senogul's masterful debut release, the sophomore album "Concierto de Evocación Sonora" offers an entirely new trend from the band. The dominant use of fusion and ethnic elements in the album's repertoire results in a display of vibrant colors and textures encapsulated in an amazing variety of moods. More than a prog rock album per se, this effort is a ritual of sound. The concept behind this musical experiment also involved members from an interdisciplinary group called Hábitat. The opener 'Itamaracá' sets a very playful pace, peacefully stretching a candid motif through the easy-going vibe displayed in the rhythmic pace and instrumentation - in fact, the accordion never fails when it comes to delivering musical warmth. 'En Permanente Estado de Vigilia' is a whole different thing. This piece lasts 8 ½ minutes: the first section is focused on an extended, dreamy ambient, featuring mesmerizing synth layers; the last section is based on a subtle, minimalistic piano motif. The eerie mystery delivered on this piece gets some slightly weird variations when percussive and other sundry effects go appearing occasionally, ultimately ending with footsteps and clock alarms. 'Mae Floresta' persists on this generation of dreamy atmospheres, but this time the ethnic flavors dominate the sonic structure dearly. The section 'La Senda Verde' is a very gentle African celebration bathed in noticeable Latin moods; 'El Espíritu Que Nos Inunda' goes to Hindu-related places in a deeply soaring fashion, featuring a guest on clarinet; 'Las Almas Inmóviles' is set in a slow jazz-friendly framework, wrapped in a soaring atmosphere; the ethnic factor returns with a revenge for the track's last section 'La Naturaleza de la Vida', whose joyfully tribal pattern feels truly completed with the multiple percussive amalgamation, the intertwined woodwinds and vocal ornaments. There go 11 ¾ minutes of pure eclectic joy. 'Swaranjali (Sangama Mantra)' is yet another exercise on multiple, successive atmospheres sustained by the link of various motifs. A particularly grandiose section from this track is a slow-tempo psychedelic jam, liberal on Crimsonian guitar textures (a terrific lead, indeed) and full of dense nuances. Before and after that, the listener is greeted with zither, sitar, tempura Catalonian pipe, and even a sung mantra. 'Siete Lunas (La Canción del Nómada)' is a showcase for bassist/percussionist Pablo Canalis' explorations: it is a snippet of rhythmic cadence featuring kalimbas, Tibetan bowls and Jew's harp. 'De Nooijer' states an ethereal mood at the starting point, bringing a spacey melancholy that ultimately ends up evolving into a calm, symphonic climax. The track's coda centers on a fusionesque motif on marimba-like synth and dual guitar textures. 'Terra - Terreiro' is another track with individually entitled sections. 'El Mar Nuestro de Cada Día' indulges solemnly in some sort of ceremonial chanting, and so it happens that 'Un Canto a los Antepasados, la Conmemoración' brings this celebratory ambience to a more extroverted mood, featuring African percussions and a jazzy ensemble of piano and exotic reeds. 'Reflexiones del Día de Mañana Sobre una Roca Gris' portrays sounds of birds in the jungle, while 'Invocanción' and 'El Poder de la Madre Tierra' reiterate the gusto for ceremonial chanting, this time reinforcing the mystical aura implied in this imagery. The overall result of this 'Terra - Terreiro' concept is quite close to the sort of experimental environments performed by Jade Warrior during their Island days. 'Lughnassad' is deeply rooted in mesmeric waters, elaborating an oceanic atmosphere firstly featuring the grand piano, then the confluence of guitar effects and acoustic guitar washes. At some point, the piano reprises a motif from 'En Permanente Estado de Vigilia'. The sense of ethereal emotiveness delivered in this enchanting piece is followed by the playful reprise of 'Itamaracá' (on solo accordion) that ends this album, a great endavour from Spain to grace the world of prog in 2009. I'm sure there will be more suprises in store from this band in future times. 4 1/3 stars for this one.