It is still the Swedes who are in the spotlight but in a classic progressive rock style since it is the formation 'Kaipa' which historically was the group of 'Roine Stolt' which, as we know, created in 1994 'The Flower Kings' and which at the time had not really succeeded with keyboard player 'Hans Lundin' to relaunch 'Kaipa' which had released 5 albums in the 70s/80s. It was only in 2002 that the two artists released an album under the name 'Kaipa' ( 'Notes From the Past', the latest album, 'Children Of The Sounds' dating from 2017. For this new opus, we find the long developments of a classic progressive drawing its influences from the 70s because on the 6 titles, the half exceed 10 minutes, the whole thing making us travel for a good hour.
And it is with the 18 minutes of 'The Frozen Dead of the Night' that we begin our progressive journey with a title in multi-drawers that we browse one behind the other with happiness and which shows the multiple influences of 'Hans Lundin' who has chosen to take us into Swedish nature and who brings together on a symphonic atmosphere, folk and jazz, with many instrumental parts where his keyboards offer multiple variations, the sections sung being quite reduced at the beginning and at the end of the title. 'In a World of Pines' continues in this symphonic style with, this time, the melodious singing of Aleena Gibson' which illuminates this title and which is accompanied by remarkable choruses, the guitar solo in the second part of 'Per Nilsson' followed by that of 'Hans Lundin' keyboards being truly magnificent. Follows the title song which is almost completely instrumental, and which continues in an inventive progressive alternating different soundscapes by modulating different rhythms. With the instrumental 'Wilderness Excursion', the jazz-fusion side is highlighted in the first part of the title and evolves towards a rougher atmosphere in the second part, then, 'In the Wastelands of My Mind' takes us on a melodic compositions à la 'Kansas' with a very characteristic violin. And it is with the 15 minutes of 'The Bitter Setting Sun' that we end this very beautiful album with a new composition typical of an inventive progressive that can recall the pioneers of progressive music and for my part, I have the feel like hearing a mix of 'Genesis', 'Yes' and 'Focus'.
In summary, 'Kaipa' continues to make 'Kaipa' and offers us a new studio recording that could have been among the reference albums of progressive rock in the 70s and which should appeal to an audience that loves long developments leaving a good place for instrumental sections that we take the time to discover, slowly, listen after listen... | |
