'Gabriel Keller' is a French artist who has just released his first album 'Clair Obscur' and who is a member of various groups such as 'Hegoa' or 'Kellerama'. Influenced by different musical currents of several decades (he cites bands like the 'Beatles', 'Pink Floyd', 'Agnès Obel' but also 'Porcupine Tree', 'Opeth' or 'Karnivool' or even the French song with 'Alain Bashung', 'Jacques Higelin ', 'Jacques Dutronc' or even 'Ange'). Surrounded by a host of artists, he offers us varied compositions that fit into the French progressive scene and the album is divided into two parts: a first which is centered on luminous and airy progressive rock and a second in which the electric guitar is more saturated with progressive metal influences.
After the instrumental 'Tumulte' which sets the scene for the album in a slight crescendo with the successive arrival of the different electric instruments but also with the addition of strings which densifies the whole, 'Time' resumes a few chords from the previous title, taking us into a calm and relaxed atmosphere to the rhythm of a very beautiful melody which moves slowly and which brings out the sweet voice of Emi B', further reinforcing this feeling of serenity. With 'Train to Resolution', we find 'Emi B' in a melodic jewel which invites us to a new peaceful journey with a very nice rise in power which falls on the finale with a few acoustic guitar chords, then, 'Open Arms' continues in this atmosphere with new memorable melodic lines and constitutes the 3rd title sung by 'Emi B'. Follows 'Melancholia' which, in a sensual and melancholic atmosphere, highlights the melodious and aerial singing of 'Charlotte Gagnor' and this title is the only one on the album sung in French. Note that to defend his songs in public, 'Gabriel Keller' has set up an acoustic trio, guitar, cello and voice, made up of Gabriel, 'Lucie Lacour' and 'Charlotte Gagnor' who present refined versions of his compositions, I quote him: "With Lucie on the cello, we are creating together a setting so that Charlotte's voice can express its full range of emotions.". We arrive at the central title of the album, 'Sonate au clair obscur', entirely instrumental, which separates the two parts and which alternates different intensities, calm at the beginning with the piano accompaniment of 'Clément Barou' and which increases in power after a minute and a half with the entry on the track of electric instruments sprinkled here and there with some saturated guitar riffs and which continues with energetic choirs to fall back on the finale in the serenity as it had started. The more tormented part opens with 'Nothing Human' (see the video with the acoustic trio above) which brings a good dose of progressive with alternating intensities and rhythms and which offers us beautiful vocal harmonies and singing more fiery than 'Maïté Merlin', the second part making room for an inventive instrumental section. Follows 'Out of My Life' which continues in this imaginative and sought-after progressive with multiple changes of tempo which gives all the strength to this title and which is magnified by a masterful interpretation of 'Maïté Merlin', then, with 'Honey', we set off on an exotic journey with some oriental sounds and whose rhythm section quickly becomes addictive, 'Marine Poirier', on vocals, giving even more relief to this magnificent modern progressive title with, among other things, these wonderful vocals at the end of the title. And to close this very beautiful album, the acoustic instrumental 'Accalmie' ends this very beautiful journey in a quiet atmosphere and brings us back slowly to a more serene universe.
In summary, 'Gabriel Keller' releases a remarkable first album which, given the theme, contrasts light atmospheres and other more tormented ones, marrying in a very beautiful way different styles, ranging from a soft and airy pop to imaginative and modern progressive rock... | |
