MOON SAFARI

The band has two lead singers in Simon Åkesson and Petter Sandström, but one of the really important aspects of Moon Safari is the important use of vocal harmonies throughout. When I first heard them, I described them as The Carpenters in a prog setting, and while they have moved somewhat from there, those harmonies are still incredibly important in a sound which has much in common with the pomp and circumstance of classic Styx, Starz and other American bands from the late Seventies. That they are Swedish and performing in the 21st century does not matter as the material and musical performances are very strong indeed, and somehow, they manage to cut through the sugar levels so it does not leave a bad taste in the mouth. The album is not as over polished and over produced as one might expect given the musical style, and this manages to keep it rooted, and once again credit must be given to Rich Mouser who mixed and mastered this at the Mouse House Studio, bringing all his experience with the likes of Spock's Beard to keep this fresh and interesting as they mix pop, pomp and prog to create something which is very enjoyable on first play and only gets better. We can only hope it is not 10 years until the next one as Moon Safari continue to operate in their own style of prog, and long may it continue.

Could someone explain to me what is progressive about this album? Giving it a spin, it throws me back to the '70s and '80s. But not to the greats of progressive music. Heck, not even the mediocre artists of these times.

I find the musical themes cheesy and the lyrics corny. This is regressive music. There's nothing for me to cling on to. Obligatory guitar solos and strings won't cut it.

I don't see how this can be more than 1 star on a site that wishes to promote progressive music. There's plenty of good material to choose from 2023. This is not it. IMHO.

I know, I know. One should hesitate before giving an album 5 stars. I'm thinking about that now as I write this review. I don't write many reviews because there are so many great artists and albums out there that deserve to be recognized and I just haven't got the time to write reviews for them all. But ever so often an artist and an album comes along that needs to be recognized for it's greatness and I believe this is one of those times. So from me they get a BIG, well deserved 5 stars.

"198X (Heaven Hill)" what the intro of 'Jump'... well almost, nevertheless an energetic intro which surprises and you need the vocals to feel the Yessian hints; melodic, fresh, airy title, catchy choirs and beautiful modern opening. "Between the Devil and Me" aerial, intimate, latent, prog intro; Mikael's drums put things in order, the title reminding me of TOTO; a cheerful Scandinavian AOR prog in fact, not a prog in the vein of a FLOWER KINGS no wonder that Tomas their keyboardist followed them; final return more prog metal with a good riff and the enjoyable guitar solo on fat synths, confusion and musical clarity. "Emma, Come On" on a JETHRO TULL, a MAGELLAN, a boosted YES, a MOON SAFARI whatever; short title nervous and showing their pleasure of meeting again. "A Lifetime to Learn How to Love" intimate melodic tune for a symphonic rise culminating halfway with Mikael's explosive rap; the melody is intended to be grandiloquent, an immersion in vintage prog without the heavy reminiscences of the 'déjà vu' genre, here it is the opportunity to start with grandiose, quite metallic tunes which give the pep like the Gilmourian solo of Pontus. "Beyond the Blue" short title, symphonic interlude to be taken as an anthem with choirs of eunuchs or angels and rolling drums, wonderful, introducing "Blood Moon" returning to a radio rock edit, understand a cheerful title, played easily, the recording is of high quality; fresh sounds, on YOSO from the 90s, bouncy, the thing where there is nothing to throw away, an air of something already heard too.

"Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse" settle in; the prog title without a doubt; there it is reminiscent of FLOWER KINGS plus symphonic prog, opera in the distance for the expressive choirs; a slow scroll of notes, breaks and other drawers giving pride of place to the musicians' instrumentation with this baroque intro and this solo that the great Yngwie would have loved to do; the most this dithyrambic nine-minute break which starts with a crazy Neal MORSE, with a heavy riff; difficult to translate given the mergers, here's THE BEATLES, here's ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA, here's YES again, the BUGGLES, it's up to you to dive in; Be careful, I'm talking about musical overtones, but it's really a big MOON SAFARI playing here. "Forever, for You" acoustic guitar-piano before going on an attractive ballad with grandiloquent choirs and intense orchestration including an expressive sax; the good side is that it is attractive without pause, without this liability that many current groups have to overplay endlessly, causing any weariness; nay here, to their credit. "Epilog" with church organ for the solemn hymn and crystal clear acoustics to close.

Himlabacken Vol. 2, 10 years after Vol. 1, the wait was worth it. What a great record, the first 3 tracks are killer, maintaining the Moon Safari classic sound, but with some aggressive and heavier moments, like in "Between the Devil and Me", an excellent track. "198X" and "Emma, Come On" are happier, what we love about Moon Safari first albums. I really love the 80s vibe that this album has in general, you can notice that in the first tracks.

We continue with "A Lifetime to Learn How to Love" a beautiful ballad, really calm and peaceful, and then "Beyond the Blue", I was expecting something a cappella, but this song really surprised me, as it has a dark and medieval vibe and a nice orchestration. "Blood Moon" continue in that 80s line, a cool song, before the epic kicks in.

"Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse". What can we say about this epic masterpiece. Totally different from other MS epics, I think this was an excellent artistic challenge for them, going into more symphonic and heavier moments, with a perfect orchestration.

And after all this progressive extravaganza, another calm song "Forever, for You" more in the old style of Moon Safari, and the closing track "Epilog", another excellent choir ballad, sung in Swedish, beautiful perfect finale, this album may be the best album of 2023.

Moon Safari has been a band I have known of for a bit of time now. I heard they were pretty good, and so I binged their discography. I liked their sound and their albums but never really gave them much thought, though I did really like Constant Bloom (still do but I will talk about that later) and even added it to one of my monthly playlists for 2022. However, I guess something sparked in me to relisten to their second record again, Blomljud, or [blomljud] as it is called by the album cover, and man, I have been really underestimating this album of theirs.

This record is one of the most jolly I have ever heard, to the point where I consider it the sound equivalent of a summer's breeze. It's nearly 2 hours of happiness and prog rock proportions, as it's a mixture of the beautiful pastoral sounds of Genesis and Sui Generis, and the harmonious joy of the sunny pop/folk bands of the 60s and 70s, and what an infectious mix it is.

Every song is so magical to me, with each having this particular spark or moment that is worth remembering. The musicians here are clearly at the top of their league, with each delivering fantastic hooks, drumlines, and riffs that bring me right back to the feeling of listening to Yes for the first time, but with that modern kick of sublime production and engineer work that makes this feel like a true classic of modern prog, at least to me. Also, the leitmotifs on this piece are so good. I never get tired of hearing melodies from past songs be used for later, most notably the Constant Bloom melody, appearing in quite a number of songs, particularly Methusalah's Children and Other Half Of The Sky.

Not only is the instrumentation great, but so is the lyricism. They drift between fairy tale-like stories, to songs about summer defeating winter and vice versa, and all revolving around a setting of sunny intrigue. Some lyrics also contrast the more generally happy noises the players play, such as Methusalah's Children "We just won't really care, Acting out the stupid nature of man" and Lady Of The Woodlands "Fate lacks no irony, Lady should stay off the wine". However, even when the lyrics may contrast sometimes, they always wrap back around into a more optimistic outlook that never falls short or cliche. It's always nice hearing a band deliver both fantastic lyrics and music. They truly earned the masterpiece status in my eyes with these regards.

Now, there are actually 2 things on why I seem to have gravitated towards this album the most, and that is three songs, and Pokemon.

For the songs, I believe Constant Bloom, Methusalah's Children, and Other Half Of The Sky to be Moon Safari's best songs, and therefore the best of this record.

Constant Bloom, for one, is a simple acapella piece, practically introducing the main concept of this album, being summer's constant battle with winter. However, there is just something beautiful about this little song, as the band's vocal harmonies create this wash of sound and energy that carries on through. I actually think this is the best song Moon Safari has ever created, which is funny since it's basically a prelude track.

Methusalah's Children is an awesome epic that pairs well with Constant Bloom, being this 15 minute beauty that properly starts the entire record. As with most epics, the ending is always the best part, with the track ending with a reprisal of Constant Bloom. However, I also really like the part that goes "Look at those people?", and how it leads into this nice little folk bit before wrapping into a very neat little overdriven part that leads into a little instrumental bit. It all feels very consistent and nice, and even though it is an epic it goes by pretty quick, almost to the point where I sometimes question if the song is 15 minutes or just 10. Very nice stuff.

Obviously the big epic of Other Half Of The Sky is gonna be a favorite of mine. To me this is kinda like retro prog's answer to Supper's Ready. Neo prog has Grendel and Harvest Of Souls, and djent has Meshuggah's I (though I is basically if you made Apocalypse in 9/8 into one track and made it metal). The acoustic guitar in the beginning definitely gives off a very Genesis-esque tone, but the rest of the song feels more closely related to that of Premiata Forneria Marconi, with a hint of Yes and Electric Light Orchestra. They do get that Genesis flair near the end, with the parts of Child Inside The Man and After All. After All especially is an amazing closure, with the reprisal of the main melody to an outburst of "everyday I am loving you more", a finale that certainly puts a smile on my face. Definitely one of the best prog epics of the 2000s, and a song that I am sure to cherish over and over again.

Now, for the reason why I mentioned Pokemon. Well, it's because recently, Nintendo announced that in April of 2024, they'll cut all internet services for the 3DS, and with that, the Pokemon Company stated that Pokemon Bank, a software on the system that allows you to transfer Pokemon from game to game may also be closing down. This news saddened me quite greatly, as it meant, one, it was practically the end of a console I grew up on, and two, I might never be able to transfer some of my favorite 'mons to more recent games. Hell I even started to hack my 3DS just so I can have a chance, but that is besides the point. Hearing this news, I booted up a copy of Pokemon X I had, and wanted to listen to something particularly cheery, you know to lighten the mood a bit after hearing the sad news, so I put on this record, and Moon Safari's music really does wonders at alleviating drowsy states, and also acts as a good backup for the Kalos region, which kinda makes sense as that particular region is probably the best looking as it kinda has a very pastoral vibe that I adore. It's funny how sometimes we associate two completely different things due to scenarios we find ourselves in.

Blomljud is another masterpiece of prog rock, that much is stated, but certainly one that is unique in many regards. Its happiness is infectious, its music is boundless, and its place in my heart cannot be understated. I strongly recommend this one, especially if you like prog bands like The Flower Kings, or you like the more happy sounds of The Kinks or Beach Boys.