DE L'AUTRE CÔTÉ DU MONDE

HUNE's first album, "De l'Autre Côté du Monde," is a fabulous debut full of memorable melodies, dense textures, and wonderful vocals. HUNE appears to be the brainchild of guitarist (multi-instrumentalist?) Daniel Couturier, with vocals provided by André Bourget. With influences predominantly coming from England (I detect PINK FLOYD and KING CRIMSON most strongly) as well as from their native Quebec (SLOCHE, OCTOBRE, ERE G), HUNE provides a great synthesis of these diverse styles. The atmospheric moods of PINK FLOYD are particularly seen on the title track (a 25 minute opus) and the closing track, "Mission en Mer." Textures in the style of KING CRIMSON are scattered throughout all the songs. There are waves of mellotron, a busy rhythm section, Gilmour-esque minimalistic but singing guitar solos, more complex guitar textures often augmented by piano or organ, and the strong vocal harmonies of Bourget, used sparingly but quite effectively.

The title track is 25 minutes long and owes a large debt to the atmospheric moods of PINK FLOYD, evoking thoughts at times of "Shine On." The mood, initially dreamlike and slow, is provided by layers of keyboards playing dense chords, underlying acoustic guitar. The pace picks up considerably about 8 minutes in, eventually settling into Frippesque guitar textures. The vocals don't come until the song is nearly over, but when they do it eases some of the instrumental tension that has been building.

"Citadelle" showcases flowing melodic lines of keyboards, vocals, and singing guitar over halting rhythms and drum fills, many of which are wonderfully echoed by the bass. It's a complex arrangement that seems less so because of the contrasting melodies. My favorite passage occurs about nine minutes in, when there is a Crimsonian riff played over throbbing bass and mellotron--wow!!

Probably my favorite track is "La Lettre de Marque." Not only is the melody the most memorable on the album, but I love the section about three minutes in where stuttering bass and drums echo one another over mellotron, with soaring, shifting guitar licks fading in and out?man, it's just amazing. For good measure, the passage is reprised as the song fades out.

Overall, this is such an enjoyable album, one which really has left its mark on me. Greg Walker gives the album his coveted "essential!" rating, and KinesisCD says, "Without hyperbole, had this album been released in France at least 30 years earlier, it would today be considered one of the classic French progressive albums." I have to agree with them both wholeheartedly (noting that it's from Quebec, not France) and give it my unqualified praise. Cinq etoiles.

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