ESOTERIC EUPHONY

Han Uil has been around in the music business for a while. He is a Dutch singer-sonwriter/guitaris and has been frontman for the band "Antares" and more recently "Seven Day Hunt". He was also involved in a grunge rock band "Vertical Reality" and altenative band "The Lounge". He started releasing solo albums in 2006, and has since released 4 solo albums. His 4th album is called "Esoteric Euphony", released in June of 2019. The album has 10 tracks that span a total run time of over 52 minutes with two of those tracks just over 7 minutes. The line-up for this album include Han Uil (vocals, guitar), Peter H. Boer (bass), Maurizio Antonini (drums), and Esther Ladiges, Caroline Joy and Kate Mitchell (all on vocals).

"Devil's Knight" starts the album off with a light weight song that is supposed to dark, but it comes across rather silly sounding, even with the high pitched female vocals that have a lot of vibrato. This hollow sounding music continues in "We are United" and "The Next Door Bully". The lyrics are not really that thought provoking, though he tries with some topics that sound like they could be current issues, but his vocals don't have a lot of emotion. The guitar work is decent enough, however, and there are some interesting synth passages in there too, but nothing really stands out.

"Runaway" is one of the longer 7 minute tracks, and has a blues style to it. But, there isn't a lot of depth or heart to the music, so it just isn't that convincing. There are some meter changes, but that doesn't save the music. It just seems like music we've all heard before, but done much better and with more conviction. "Love and Me" is boring, even when he tries to tap into his inner Mark Knopfler in the beginning.

As the album goes on, it really doesn't get much better. There is very little progressive sound to this album, it is mostly straightforward, but, other than some guitar passages here and there (usually they are cut short), there just isn't anything that interesting about this album. "The Storyteller" tried to go somewhere with it's longer introduction, but it mostly falls flat. "Give Me Fire" sounds like something this album needs, more fire. There really is nothing on this album that evokes any kind of emotion from me, as it all sounds pretty typical, and the vocals and lyrics are uninteresting. There is no real passion here either. It just stays safe throughout, but unfortunately doesn't have anything else to save it. It's not even a very good pop record. If you are to get this one, it would only be for the guitar work, but it's all stuff we have heard before, and even then it is nothing to get excited about.

World-Weary Soundtrack?

I kept thinking I'd see actors and dancers:

The most baffling, challenging scenarios were presented- yet accompanied by slightly bemused, ironic vocals, in which the persona singing was distant, removed. It was jarring and dissonant- yet the music was at times bouncy, pop- inflected, even playful.

Themes like spiritual danger and possession, or bullying, or the harrowing experiences of runaway children who must do what it takes to survive- yet somehow maintain hope they can succeed- all sung with insouciant cool remoteness, all accompanied by cinematic song-writing bliss.

It throws the listener off-plumb:

And maybe that's the point, or maybe that's because I'm already more than a little off-plumb. Lyrics about abject failure, sung in that ironic, coolly removed style. The track itself is heavier than some of the others, and jumps right in, with some cool bass lines backing that vocalist.

I thought, "Until you get used to this almost casual, off-hand treatment of all manner of horrors, it won't make any sense."

But then, if you accept that premise, the album gels:

There are the bluesy, subtle guitar lines Han brings to bear in "Chasing Intentions", the imaginative drumming in "The Storyteller", and the way male and female vocals mix and match to create a kind of cinematic flavor.

The point on this album is subtlety, tone, feel, texture, melody- rather than bombast, or instrumental overkill.

For me, "Runaway" is the focal point.

Here's a song that tugged at me, describing the desperation of the experience of well, how many children and adolescents? How many cast away, or feeling unwelcome and unwanted, how many selling themselves for whatever measures of comfort they can have?

And all wrapped in that cool, ironic blanket of playful instrumentation and at-a-remove vocal style.

In conclusion:

An album, that once you accept these premises, delivers a strangely stirring, slightly upsetting message.

3.5 dramatic dissonances.

Originally published in progressiverockfanatics.wordpress.com

HAN UIL is a singer guitarist who has played in various bands, ranging from EGDON HEATH, SEVEN DAY HUNT, ANTARES and TUMBLE TOWN. The influences are varied, starting from DYLAN, DIRE STRAITS, J. BECK for the guitar, MARILLION, PINK FLOYD (from Syd BARETT to David GILMOUR), ILLUMION, N. CAVE. At times the paw of Peter GABRIEL and the voice of David BOWIE can be heard! Note that these titles were composed during the last recording of TUMBLE TOWN and form his 3rd personal album. Suffice to say that this album has everything to surprise and should not be considered just as yet another side-project.

"Devil's night" and its solo à la GILMOUR, with a bit of ROTHERY behind, an ethereal female voice, operetta then almost shouted, reminiscences on GENESIS period "And then there were three", "We are united" with a latent intro and its typical voice leading to a development in which I hear a few notes of MINIMUM VITAL or ANGE, but the main thing goes on a tune that is both calm and complex as soon as the music takes precedence over the lyrics; note the voice of Theresa May relating the drama of the Manchester Arena. "The next door bully" focused on a title more fits in even the voice becoming more aggressive until the arrival of a Knopflerian and Beckian guitar. "Runaway" sets off on a calm, ordered blues rhythm with an unstoppable chorus, then a crescendo with backing vocals gives free rein to Han's fluid guitar; minimal break very gently before an explosive solo, the most beautiful "spleen and enchanting" of the album in my opinion. "Love and me" and its typical intro, don't look for MARK KNOPFLER is there: from beginning to end with even STEVE ROTHERY as a guest; the great part given to the guitar and a monolithic, almost phrasal voice, always bewitching, it's simple, of course, but it's beautiful! The last solo tears the ambient air even more and finishes its undermining work.

"The storyteller" with an oriental atmosphere at the start to give free rein to a haunting title where the drums are more present; a progressive development comes to light halfway through with a synth marking its presence, then the guitar again; new feeling between icy beauty and mono-thymic rhythm that makes you move your head without realizing it, complex title! "Give me fire" leaves on the same feeling, it's soft, from the accordion to the detour, the voice in the Nick CAVE well supported then a controlled explosion in the synth suddenly panicking and return smoothly, unstoppable: we are more alert to any musical prog development! "Failure" starts on JETHRO TULL as a prelude, the title is nervous, the neo-prog is very close, all in a short title, we are dealing with rhythmic breaks which do not leave anyone indifferent and which reinforce to lend the ear more considerately; the guitar and the synth fight for honor. "Chasing intentions" guitar by Han HUIL who must have heard a lot of Chis REA and Mark KNOPFLER, the notes are pure, crystalline and they flow from an endless musical cascade as I realize that it's is the shortest title! A purely orchestral interlude of great beauty. "A great experience" closes the album with the longest title on a blues atmosphere at the beginning until an explosive synth finale, the guitar coming from here and there distilling some alluring notes.

A strange, seductive album where one could get bored if one is looking for long neo-prog compositions; an interesting album in the pure crossover prog vein because mixing symphonic parts, opera, 80's and 90's prog, an album where each title in fact conceals its own development with twists and surprises à la carte, a rock album in fact who has the ability to pull out progressive developments at every corner; a trap album where replays give the feeling of being in an endless musical loop. A relaxing and exciting record, prog becomes an oxymoron and is definitely not dead. An album as it is good to be surprised.