'Dave Hulatt' is a British multi-instrumentalist who is part of the progressive psychedelic movement, and his first album 'Merry Go Round' is full of beautiful surprises and takes us on a beautiful journey taking us back to the 60s/70s with multiple influences from this era which developed progressive music by incorporating different pop, folk, rock and hard rock influences. On the menu of this opus, 9 titles for a short hour of listening and we are welcomed by an energetic 'Cracks in Space' which takes us on a progressive saga with multiple rhythmic changes, the saturated guitar leading the dance throughout this title, then, change of scenery for 'The Rabbit Hole of Time' which fits more in the psychedelic of the first 'Pink-Floyd' with this hovering and hypnotic sensation. With 'The Light of Perfection', the calm and quiet first part is similar to the pastoral songs of the early 70s in which we believe we hear some birdsong, then, the second part continues with an aerial melody accompanied by a guitar acoustic and some layers of atmospheric keyboards and 'Station In The Sky' is a more direct song which can recall certain titles compiled in the album 'Masters of Rock' by 'Pink Floyd' which contained the shortest songs of the repertoire of the English . The suite continues to offer us peregrinations of the beginning of the progressive, with instrumental parts containing remarkable guitar solos and we alternate between warm and playful atmospheres with for example 'The Maze' or 'The Trip' and more nonchalant atmospheres with for example the very 'Floydian' 'Times Gone By' or 'Welcome to the Dark' which is the most representative title of a progressive psychedelic from the 'Syd Barrett' era, the album ending with 'Merry Go Round' which is a good summary of this beautiful album with vintage sounds and remarkable alternations of tempos and intensity. In summary, 'Dave Hulatt' takes us back to an era that saw the progressive take off and 'Merry Go Round' is a varied album that takes us on a journey through accessible psychedelic and melodic soundscapes leaving an important place to rich sections instrumentals and in particular remarkable guitar solos... | |
