BABAL

Talking Heads has always been a focal point for me with Babal, with music which has edges so sharp and angular that it is possible to get cut just by listening to them. Jon is never content to sit at the back but is determined to be part of the main approach, while Karen provides a multitude of different personalities and characters and Rob moves seamlessly through different instruments as he builds a soundscape. This is uncompromising stuff, from a band who are anti-establishment and true punk to the core, and given that both Karen and Rob have survived serious cancer diagnoses they are giving two fingers to the world. This is not gentle progressive rock which fits warmly in the bosom of Pink Floyd and Genesis lovers, but instead is challenging and not expecting to be liked by the masses as that is never their intent. This is crafted art rock, progressive in its truest sense, as one never knows where the musical journey is going to lead, just that the listener will be all the richer by the end of it. Could it be argued that Crass are joining forces with Cardiacs to deliver a Beefheart take on Byrne? Possibly, but instead of attempting to work out the influences and wonder how to describe them, instead say this is classic Babal with the band putting their troubles behind them and being at full strength and power. Long may they continue as for prog to survive it needs to be as uncompromising and challenging as this.

With both Rob and Karen suffering cancer in recent years, there was a very high risk that Babal would have to fold, and as it is they have unable to play gigs for quite some time, but there is nothing which will stop the guys channelling the music which is in their blood, and here they have come up with one of their most uncompromising albums yet. Think Talking Heads mixed with Beefheart, experimental Zappa and some punk ethics (as opposed to musical) such as Crass and one may just get close. There are elements of free jazz alongside prog, an edginess which refuses definition and a solid desire never to be pleasant and restful but rather be angular and sharp. This is music which will divide opinions among progheads as there will be plenty who will feel there is too much angst and general weirdness going on while there will also be others who feel this is cutting edge which takes us back 50 years to a time when anything was possible and being progressive meant being different as opposed to rehashing what had come before.

I have become used to Babal by now, and knew I would not necessarily enjoy this the first time I played this, even before I put it on, and possibly not even the second, but by the third there was a smile on my face as Karen, Rob and Jon have yet again delivered something out of the norm and very special indeed.

When I reviewed the first album in this trilogy, I stated they were heavily influenced by Frank Zappa, Bill Nelson, and Talking Heads in particular, but in many ways, this has moved away from Byrne and jumped headlong into art rock, krautrock, and experimental esoteric prog. At times this is just plain weird, yet somehow it always makes musical sense. This is music which feels symbiotic, created together at the same point in time as opposed to each musician coming in with their own parts. Sharp's intricate patterns and constantly changing approach is a key feature of the underlying sound, with Ron twisting different musical elements around those structures and then over the top there is Karen. At times she is singing gently, such as on closer "Through Hardship To The Stars", while at others she is challenging us, abrupt and sneering, both edgy and on the edge. At times it is melodic, and at others far more involved, daring us to go on the musical journey with them. It can be dreamy, restful, and pleasant, while at others it is jagged and harsh, abrupt, and staccato. There is always a great deal going on, and the ears are often attracted to one element or another, as the world is built, moulded, and constantly morphing into something else. Karen was too ill to be involved with the last album, but one would never guess there has been any past issues given her performance here which is controlled and full of presence.

At times this is not for the faint-hearted, and opener "Puss In Boots" is put there to see who is brave enough to continue the journey as it starts in a style where the vocals are at odds with the melody beneath. As it progresses it gets darker, almost industrial in its presence, with strange guitars and effects, but in many ways, it is the perfect opener as Babal immediately invite us into their unusual world, uncompromising and very much on their terms. Zappa, Bill Nelson, art rock, prog rock, krautrock, it is all here in 'Spirit In A Meat Suit'. "The liberation I feel from producing this work has literally been phenomenal", says Karen "sometimes I couldn't do any work for months and sometimes neither could Rob. We were like a musical see-saw; each helping the other go up if the other was down. I'm really happy with the result, we all are ? it's been well worth the persistence". Now could not be a better time to discover Babal.

For example, the description for opener "Gundy" starts with "Space age fossils hover over Devon..." seems like my home county is a theme this week. Babal have always been pushing boundaries, with albums moving in different directions, so releasing something which is instrumental makes total sense. Jon never settles into patterns but is always looking for different ways to move the sound and plays around the kit as opposed to any standard fashion, while Rob throws in multiple intermingling guitar lines when the time is right, or some poignant bass. Bill Nelson is still very much an influence, and the impression is much more of art rock than "straight" regressive progressive. It is incredibly layered, as one could well expect from musicians going stir crazy indoors, but it is never over the top and there is still plenty of room and space within the arrangements. Having the drums to the front of the mix also provides cut through and chops the music so there is never the risk of it becoming too over the top. Unable to have the focal point which is Karen, the band have instead shifted their music in a way which is somehow both complex and simplistic at the same time, the result being something that is incredibly enjoyable, and while immediate also pays repeated listening.

The three EP's each run to more than 20 minutes in length, combining together to form one full-length album, so perhaps it isn't surprising they are similar in style, although "The Axe" is quite different to the others with a concentration on Karen's vocals combined with whirling synths. It makes me think of a very modern folk song in terms of its lyrics and approach, not something I would normally associate with this band. Karen is often using her voice as an instrument, challenging norms, so it is nice to hear her singing with emotion in a more "normal" manner. "Bones & Blood" starts off almost orchestral in fashion, but soon we get the jagged edge and syncopation as Rob and Jon come in to turn it into something quite different. Their music is a combination of performance art, space rock, krautrock, Talking Heads, RIO and experimentation and this all comes to a climax in the live cut which ends the EP. The three EP's together make quite a set, certainly worthy of investigation who wants their progressive rock to sound nothing like Genesis.

Just two songs on this EP, with the title cut being nearly 20 minutes in length and "Beggars To Chance" nearly 9. One thing I noticed with "The Big Everything" is that even though it is a long track, it certainly doesn't feel that way and I was soon dragged into the mysterious world which is Babal. Rob sent me a link to a live video of theirs, and as soon as I saw it everything fell into place and suddenly all their music made sense. The visual element of their music is incredibly important, and having now seen this, I know what they are doing. It meant I approached the two most recent releases quite differently to the album itself, which for some reason I never really got on top of, but now I understand the music far more. This is intriguing, complex, complicated, bringing in many different influences, and even atonal singing which makes total sense when it appears even if it is nothing like how Karen normally sounds. Well worth investigating.

They slow it down with the title track, which features some glorious violin from guest Sarana Verlin, and Karen moves between spoken word and singing, which provides additional nuances. The band is completed by Rob Williams (guitars and synths) and drummer Jon Sharp, just as it was when they released their debut album as Wise Children some twenty years ago. The trio bring in guests as they need them, using what they need to weave their art rock, progressive, David Byrne-inspired Hawkwind look on the world. Just three songs, 23 minutes long, this is a great introduction to the world of Babal.

There are musical layers upon layers, complex, often staccato and disjointed, all coming together in a strange mix where the drums are too far to the front. That is my only complaint on what is generally very strong production indeed, so that is an obvious choice as opposed to any failing. This really isn't my style of music though, but for anyone who is intrigued by the idea of David Byrne being involved with Zappa (in particular) then I do urge you to seek this one out, even though it is not for me. It has been released by Melodic Revolution Records on vinyl as well as CD and digitally

The first track is the title song for the album "The Big Everything" which is a 19 minute epic track. Chiming guitars and shimmering effects bring in the unique vocals, which are quite enticing. The lyrics are definitely not your standard rhyming lyrics and have some really great phrasing. They also don't follow any standard melody structure either, making them sound more poetic. During the vocal breaks, synth and guitar continue to give a somewhat psychedelic sound, and even utilizes a trance-like quality, yet the music doesn't hide behind a haze like most psychedelic music. Vocals are clear and easy to understand. Vocals are spread out evenly throughout the song, yet there is still time left to have instrumental sections also. The vocals also range from a chant-like style to melodic, but never following any real thematic structure, and sometimes both styles are layered together. The music flows with the same rhythm and tempo through the entire track, which lends itself even more towards the psychedelic/space rock style. There are textural changes in the different instrumental breaks (and even within the vocals) however, so over it's long play time, at least it strives to not become stagnant. Wordless vocals towards the last section of the track treat the voice as an improvising instrument.

"Beggars to Chance" is the 2nd track and is almost 9 minutes long. A faster drum beat bring in the soft guitar notes and synth effects as a nice groove is established. After a while, the guitar intensifies and continues to improvise. Vocals come in after 2 minutes. There are some interesting dissonant harmonies that go on here that keep things interesting. Later, some nice keyboards are added to soften things up a bit as the non-standard lyrical and thematic sounds continue. As before, the rhythm remains constant, while the vocals and improvisation parts bring about changes in style, tone and texture. Around 6 minutes, the rhythm drops out as the music and vocals carry the rest of the track to the end.

This is definitely an interesting sound, the lyrics and vocals are poetic, the rhythm constant in most cases and everything else responsible for bringing about variety through both of the long tracks. This is music that grows on you, that can have an effect on you like trance music, but still ever changing to keep you interested. I'm not sure if a full-length album would have made this a stronger release, but as it is, the biggest drawback is the shortness of it all. At least it intrigues me and makes me want to explore some of their other releases. This could almost be a 4 star release, but it just misses that mark.