EVOLUTIVE

This French band is listed in the Neo Prog genre. That makes me scratching my head because what comes out of my speakers is not Neo Prog. It is rather Non Prog (sorry. Could not resist this pun). OK, that pun was a bit too naughty. But Neo Prog, it is not.

Evolutive is a pretty typical French band in the respect of their disregard for everything else around them and by default; staking out their own sound and path. The music is based on The Beatles, no less. Well, from the White Album and forwards. But there is also added electronica, post rock, eclectic as in King Crimson, French rock and a lot of avant-garde rock like the band Present. The vocals are in French and that is a good choice which gives the band their own identity. It is really difficult to pinpoint their sound and music though. If not impossible. But that does not make this music progressive. Just at odds with the rest of the scene.

The music here is pretty strange with a lot of repetitions over the same themes. None of the songs are what I would deem memorable. Despite of that, this is not a bad album. It's strangeness and the challenge it represent is a major plus point. It is also totally unpredictable with pieces of house music follows a King Crimson lick follows some acoustic guitars. This band does not follow any conventions and this album is therefore a worthy download for those of you bored with your lot. This album will challenge you.

Hence......... and oddly enough.....

3 stars

At least on this, errrr, album, Evolutive shows a little more prog elements than on the previous album, "Analogique". There is still a strong alternative rock feel to everything, but the Pink Floyd influence is much stronger than on the previous album. L'Ombre Qui Danse is vaguely reminiscent of Welcome To The Machine. And Incantation seems to me to have been written with Magma in mind.

This isn't a terrible album, but this band has a ways to go before they will really capture my attention. Keep trying.

Do not be fooled by the "neo-prog" label given to this band. There is very little prog at all to the album. The majority of the tracks are alternative rock or grunge, with maybe, just maybe a dash of psychedelia tossed in.

It's not until you get to the four part Choc Systematique that you get to anything vaguely resembling prog. The first part is mostly a one chord jam. The other sections, all have a slight Pink Floyd circa Astronomy Domine sort of vibe. But not enough to keep me interested.

By the final track Non Non Non, I'm thinking the same thing.