BIRDS OF PASSAGE

TOO MUCH, tinkling bells, over sweetened M Olfield like melodies, and layers of "merengue" (or whipped cream as you know it). Enough seems not enough!

When you dig in your finger through the layers and layers of "fattening sweets", you maybe will notice some of this Pepe Maina's "Birds of Passage" remarkable attributes and thrills. I could mention the "acoustic Led Zep-like guitar melodies", the endless details in the arrangements (for good and bad), the potential use of his electric guitar skills in a "Tinker-Bells" environment, the wise use of very "primitive" electronic gadgets (remember the casio-mini/keyboard sounds), what else? Well there is track 6, same name as the album, which is one of the "highlights" as a whole song, due to its multi-oriented direction in composition. It is "electronics/crossed with a Jazzy "latin" flavor" percussions ang guitar work, and it is quiet progressive. So, I can dissect the album to pieces, and find very nice ideas here and there, but the problem is still the same. Even when I started to think it could go "deep", there is always this wall of over-sweetening solutions to almost all melodic lines (even the percussions), which makes the whole "hide and seek" game, quiet a bore.

Now as for the rating goes, a lot of Prog audiophiles enjoy this kind of "up-beat, new-age, multi-instrumental, electronics", for them maybe this could become "essential" or at least worth the try. But in my case, I know myself, I will listen to it tops one more time, in favor of more "neutral" taste findings.

Alternative recommendation: Skip this one and listen to his 2013 "Snow", that one is worth aquiring.

***3 "inches away from 2", PA stars.