KAIPA

A beautiful album of relaxing melodic prog, Kaipa's debut album shows (to my ears) the influences of Renaissance, early Yes, and a little bit of Camel, all brought together in a compelling blend which engages my interest in a way which the group's reunion albums (which I thought pandered rather to the retro-prog movement) failed to. It's particularly impressive to note that Roine Stolt was only 19 when this album was made, though the primary songwriter this time around is keyboardist and singer Hans Lundin. Lundin and Stolt's performances elevate this album from enjoyable second-tier prog to a genuine landmark of the Swedish prog scene. The seeds sown here can be heard sprouting in Anglagard, Sinkadus, and early Flower Kings, so you could say without too much hyperbole that the groundwork for the 1990s prog revival started here.