NAPATISTA

— First review of this album —

Napatista is a British trio of multi-instrumentists and this is their debut album. It's likely inspired to western movies, not only for the tracks titles. The "Clint Eastwood" mood is evident in the melodies even if the sounds are tendentially psychedelic. Only one track scores more than 6 minutes and some sound quite "incomplete".

Western apart, I can also hear a bit of Tangerine Dream influence together with a hint of Ozric Tentacles, but the sensation is that it's mainly a recording of short jammings on predefined themes. This, strange to say, makes the shorter tracks more interesting than the longer. The one-minute-and-half of "Goatdog Of Angel Death" has a Hawkwind flavor. It's a pity that it ends fading out.

The best album track is "Opium Den", which follows. It's another jam, but it sounds very Krautrock, a sort of Amon Duul II at the Mexican border, with an untuned acoustic guitar of a kind that I've heard on some Mushroom's Patience songs.

Also "Arcos" is very similar to a track of the Dutch psyche band 35007. "Glanton Ferry" is more interesting. Still very western-sounding, but with a clear Krautrock mood. The electronic interlude when the guitar temporarily stops is spacey and let me say that in my opinion this is the side that the band should explore better.

This album, released in 2011, has had two follow-ups which I haven't listened to yet. I have found it a little weak, but it's possible that the next ones are better.

A remark is deserved by "Witch Doctor", a track not too different from the other in terms of structure, but it has something "oriental" and reminds in some way to the early Pink Floyd of Saucerful of Secrets.

So it's not what I would call a great discovery, but it's promising. It has made me curious anough to give them another try. I can't suggest to buy this one, sorry.