ART D'ECHO

After the [un]creative travesty that was L'?il, three years before, we have something that is at least confident in itself. Right off the bat, we have something that's boisterous, as if, in comparison to the prior release, it wanted to actually be here LOL.

Very much, as with the last, an electronic-heavy album, but actually with interesting rhythms and melodies. Most of it is, of course then, keyboard-based. To suggest, though, that this music is in any way "of the time" would be misleading. Still looking back to SOFT MACHINE-led Canterbury for inspiration, we have free, somewhat dark and somewhat moody Jazz-Rock. The strongsuits are percussion and reeds/woodwinds. Even when it's sort of the hollow electronic drums (see "Plus Fragile Qu'une Poubelle"), the percussion really is the life of the party. In the case of "Bossa Bergolia," an otherwise dry, flat track was nearly saved by an excellent sax solo. Nearly.

Back to "Plus Fragile...": it's a great example of when I am judging a song based on the prescriptions of the Canterbury Scene, and not Progressive Rock as a whole. In this category, it is an excellent addition, and I definitely recommend you check it out if you're a fan/appreciator as I am.

Throughout, there's a definite vibe that I can't quite place, though my mind finds it adjacent to the sort of horror- inspired musics of ART ZOYD and GOBLIN. It's often less dynamic than they and therefore, overall, just alright. [I was tempted to give a True Rate of 2.5/5.0]