It is not for a melodic rock album that we are heading to Sweden but for old-fashioned progressive rock with the latest album 'Alone Together' from the project 'Gungfly' by 'Rikard Sjöblom' who is in his 6th studio recording and who is also the keyboardist of 'Big Big Train'. Rikard is used to offering us well-supplied opuses and this is still the case with his last baby which includes in the version with bonuses an hour of music with three long progressive developments.
The 13 minutes of 'Traveler' welcomes us with sounds from the beginning of the progressive in a light and lively atmosphere with beautiful vocal harmonies which alternate with more energetic parts and offering instrumental passages in which the sections of vintage keyboards and the guitar solos are remarkable. As its name suggests' Happy Somewhere In Between 'is a joyful composition which can recall certain compositions of 'Emerson Lake & Palmer', the keyboards being at the party, then 'Clean as a Whistle', after an acoustic introduction takes us with references from the beginning of the 70s with sounds like 'Genesis' just like 'Alone Together' which continues in this atmosphere of the beginning of the progressive with first, changes of intensity and tempos and then instrumental parts in which keyboards and guitar return the ball and with a much more melodic final with a crescendo which falls back with piano chords taking up the general musical theme. Follows the short 'From Afar' which serves as an acoustic break before starting the flagship title of the album which, with its 14 minutes, embarks us on a progressive saga that mixes several styles starting with a fairly classic sung part and which continues with several sections, highlighting successively, a melancholy piano on a quiet melody sung remarkably by Rikard, then an unbridled instrumental part with keyboards from another era and admirable sound disgressions, the title ending in crescendo with a melody heady and a masterful guitar solo. The bonus version offers us two instrumentals, first of all 'Grove Toughts' in a disturbing jazz / rock atmosphere which ends in fantastic film sound effects and finally 'Shoulder Variation' which is somewhat reminiscent of the atmospheres of the beginning of 'Focus'.
In summary, it is still a return to the source of the progressive that offers us 'Rikard Sjöblom' with this new album of quality which is tamed, listening after listening and which therefore should appeal to a public loving to take time to appropriate a new album... | |
