SYBELLIN, WITH FEW TRACKS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ON PREVIOUS ALBUMS

Many of the so-called 'epics', or long tracks I have heard from the French multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Gramond have generally failed to spark the sort of admiration that an epic should in me. More often than not, the pieces are pleasant enough to listen to, but they feel very loose, more akin to an extended jam than any sort of complex epic. Of course, Sébastien Gramond has proven himself to be a very capable composer, and with 'Sybellin', it feels as if these aspirations towards something greater are somewhat realized. Although not as jaw-dropping as I might have hoped, 'Sybellin' is a great, subtle piece of music which feels very intentional through much of its thirteen minutes. If only this album had stopped with it, I would have little reservation thinking more highly of this album.

Unfortunately, 'Sybellin' does not end with the opening title piece, but instead plods on for nearly another hour. With a subtext of 'Tracks That Didn't Make It On Previous Albums', one can ascertain from the very beginning that this won't be some of Gramond's better work, and it really isn't. Although 'Sybellin' impressed me from the standpoint of a composition, Sébastien Gramond has put together a collection of pieces that is easily the worst of his more recent years. Take the short 'Take No Tech' for example, a cheaply orchestrated electronic piece that goes nowhere save for an electronic beat that gets far past annoying by the end of it. 'Lovers Will Meet Again' seems like Gramond's take on sappy R&B pop, which leads to him sounding more like Celine Dion, or the soundtrack to some bad offshoot porn film. These are only some of the grim things that lie beyond 'Sybellin'.

Were it not for the title track, there would be nothing worth experiencing this album for.