This year 2024 continues to shower us with many progressive gems which means that I am only now discovering the releases at the end of June 2024. Impossible to miss the last 'Kaipa' which is yet another model of the genre in symphonic progressive rock and which offers us 80 rich and dense minutes with, excuse me, 6 long developments exceeding or bordering on 10 minutes. It's only two years after the magnificent 'Urskog' that the prolific 'Hans Lundin', the only survivor of the initial band and well surrounded by artists of enormous talent, rewards us with this new album which, in itself, could be a meter standard of what has been done best in this style for over 50 years. In the line up unchanged for 3 albums now, we also find the violinist 'Elin Rubinsztein', the flautist 'Fredrik Lindqvist' and the saxophonist 'Olof Åslund' in this 'Sommargryningsljus' which is a nocturnal journey from dusk to dawn, both first pieces representing dusk (literally Sommarskymningsljus means light of summer twilight) and the last two representing dawn (literally Sommargryningsljus means light of summer dawn). For the record, 'Hans Lundin' recovered two songs mixed on cassette that he had generated in midi on an Atari computer (for those over 60!!).
The aperitif is offered to us with 'Sommarskymningsljus' which begins with the angelic singing of Aleena Gibson' which delicately caresses our senses (Aleena is also at the origin of the melody of this magnificent title), then, 'Seven Birds' (one of the two titles recovered by 'Hans Lundin') offers us the first long development taking up the melodic theme of the first composition and which continues in this symphonic and melodic progressive with all the ingredients that any fan desires find in this style: magnificent vocal harmonies (listen to the little a cappella break around 7 minutes) and instrumentalists magnifying the whole (in this title, the keyboards of Hans Lundin' weaving a melodic carpet radiating a beneficent light, the guitarist 'Per Nilsson' bringing palpable emotion in each of his interventions and the rhythm section of 'Jonas Reningold' and 'Darby Todd' enveloping everything with beautiful delicacy)
We are also under the spell with the 11 minutes of 'Like Thousand Dawns' with its alternations between soothing and harmonious sung sections and more sophisticated instrumental parts typical of an imaginative progressive, then, 'Revelationview' brings us back to this symphonic progressive from the 70s with this pastoral side brought by harmonious melodic lines, reminiscent of groups like 'Kansas', this being accentuated by the violin accompaniments of 'Elin Rubinsztein' and flute of 'Fredrik Lindqvist'. New composition exceeding 10 minutes with 'Chased by Wolves and Burned by the Sun' which takes us once again into a progressive labyrinth in a more energetic atmosphere, the rhythm section delivering a marked tempo on which 'Patrik Lundström' offers us a vocal performance of high quality alternating with 'Per Nilsson' which adds his touch in remarkable guitar solos, then, the prize for the longest title goes to 'Spiderweb Train' which unfolds a memorable melodic theme with delicious vocal harmonies alternating with instrumental parts in which we find the pastoral side with the violin and the flute (magnificent violin/guitar duo at 6 minutes 30) and which also offer more sought-after peregrinations with this admirable rhythm section (at 3 minutes for example), in short, a sort of perfect model of progressive composition which becomes tamed over time (and I haven't told you about the finale which gives you goosebumps!).
To end with the long developments, 'Songs in Our Hands' adds a layer with its moving melancholic melody which rocks us while listening to the touching singing of 'Patrik Lundström' before taking on a little more scope in a part magnificent instrumental continuing the opening theme in which 'Per Nilsson' literally makes his guitar sing, always in parallel with the violin accompaniment of Elin Rubinsztein' and this title again offers a magnificent finale with, once again, a guitar solo absolutely dazzling and 'Aleena Gibson' which still causes us some shivers of pleasure. We have reached the end of our nocturnal journey, and the dawn which was peeking in 'Songs Our Hands' gives way to the short version of 'Sommargryningsljus' which takes up the theme of the first title and which makes us leave quietly this magnificent album while letting yourself be lulled by the captivating vocals of Aleena Gibson' and by some sublime plaintive guitar notes of 'Per Nilsson' (a longer version of the same title that was the subject of a YouTube video that you can see above is also present next).
In summary, the Swedes of 'Kaipa' have once again brought together all the ingredients of symphonic progressive rock to offer us a new sublime and intense journey with long developments of extraordinary richness and, the standard meter words of 50 years of progressive that I used at the beginning of this column are a very good definition of 'Sommargryningsljus' which should, without a doubt, join the ideal discotheque of any progressive fan... | |
