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Lebowski - Cinematic CD (album) cover

CINEMATIC

Lebowski

 

Crossover Prog

4.04 | 199 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

memowakeman
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Since the moment where I received the album and found a paper boat (just like the boat in the cover art) I knew this album would be magical, and when I listened to it for the first time, I knew my feelings were right, and loved it since the very first moment. I dare say this is the album I've listened to the most in the last month. The reasons, I could create my own inexistent film in my head, thanks to these ten compositions.

So be prepared, because here you will have 66 minutes of excellent, well-composed, wonderfully arranged music. It starts with "Trip to Doha", a colorful composition with a soft start but with a wonderful progression. I love the guitars and the prominent synthesizer that really knows how to create the most accurate atmospheres. Worth (and necessary) mentioning that this is an instrumental track, but with some vocals which are actually taken from different films. This is a great introductory track that gives an idea of how a single track can create hundreds of images.

"137 sec." has in moments a dark atmosphere that creates a sensation of tension, even drama. You can close your eyes and let the music and the female vocals take you to their realm, and become an actor of their film. It is up to you. "Cinematic", the track, has a wonderful development and a brilliant structure. I really like how they are adding different elements while the seconds pass, they don't limit themselves and surprises us with new chords, atmospheres, figures and rhythm, creating a challenging track that may describe everyone's day; just use your imagination and you will pass through several and quite different passages.

Probably my favorite combo comes next, first with "Old British Spy Movie" and later with "Iceland". The first one really suggests what the title says, however, one can modify it and use it for another kind of film, for instance, at first with the piano I imagine a lonely person lying in a bed and thinking, and when guitars and the other elements appear, that same person is having some flashbacks or flashforwards, imagining the life before and after. An additional element here is the violin, which adds pure beauty to the music, changing the mood and putting an atmosphere of hope and charm. What a wonderful track! The second one starts with guitar and synth, along with some vocals in a language I ignore; then the track little by little progresses, with a structure which may not be that complex, but that is once again full of elements such as colors, nuances and textures. Here the combination between music and words is amazing, no matter you don't understand the language, you can create your own images and stories thanks to the emotional tone.

"Encore" has an obvious French connection due to the accordion-like that softly sounds after a minute, and of course due to the vocals. The music is a carrousel that shares diverse emotions, from uncertainty or drama, to beauty and tranquility. It is incredible how Lebowsky manages to gather so many emotions and sounds in a few minutes, which demonstrates their skills as composers and performers. "Aperitif for Breakfast (O.M.R.J.) starts with a piano that reminds me of some old horror films, but it only lasts for some seconds until the song changes. And then its structure is being built, with a great use of guitars, rhythm and solo; soft drums and the always accurate and elegant keyboard and synth player.

"Spiritual Machine" may be one of those tracks hard to forget, evidently because of the machine speaking, but also because of the music itself. Holy shit, I really love how it is catching you little by little, involving you until you are completely trapped under its charm, hypnotized by its powers. Another positive point is that the song (actually all the songs) is not repetitive, it is always morphing and adding elements over and over, like real life; so this may be our soundtrack after all.

"The Storyteller (Svensson)" starts with soft piano and a dreamy atmosphere that later will be joined by vocals (film), bass and the other instruments. This may be the softest track of the album at least for the first four minutes, because later keyboards and drums appear and give it a stronger feeling which is complemented by the mighty electric guitar; this passage is not that long, it last for a minute until a kind of alarm sounds and the music just fades out. The album finishes with "Human Error" , which is another cool track that softly starts but becomes more intense seconds later. Here the guitar plays an important role, while drums constantly sound and piano leaves its mark here and there. After three minutes the band surprises us once again with a short section with percussion, creating a totally different sound, then it returns to form and completes the track.

What a wonderful album, I highly recommend it, so please give it a chance, get it, open your mind and create your own images. It is worth it, believe me. Five stars,

Enjoy it!

memowakeman | 5/5 |

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