| CD REVIEW Kaipa |
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Band: Kaipa Here’s a review you should’ve been able to read much sooner…or at least in the form a collegue of mine would’ve given it! Even though I had reviewed the band’s 2007 album Angling Feelings, both me and the editor-in-chief decided to send this job onto out Prog music specialist (the reason being that I was having more than enough on my slate at that point). Imagine my surprise when finding out, a forthnight later, that he’d turned the job down (the saying “unknown makes for unloved” feels right at home here), forcing me to get onto it with a delay. For the history of the band (which goes back over 3 decades!) I would like to direct you to above mentioned review, posted 15/05/2007. Allows me to keep things short for once, concentrating on the current album, which continues in the same vein as its predecessor, something which is explained by the fact that the line-up [including only remaining original member Hans Lundin (on keyboards and backing vocals), (Scar Symmetry) guitarist Per Nilsson, (The Flower Kings) bassist Jonas Reingold, drummer Mats Ägren, and singers Patrik Lundström ( Ritual) & Aleena Gibson] has remained the same. Furthermore, as Lundin points out : “Folk influences have always been a part of Kaipa’s music since the very beginning in 1974. At that time, the influences were more like a friend dropping in sporadically to say hello. Now, more than ever, that are an integral part of the compositions.”! Although there’s only 8 tracks on the album, it is almost 71 minutes in length, with “Electric Power Water Notes” almost 18 minutes long. In spite of its length, the track enthalls the listener from its opening notes, containing a 3-part guitar part going in and out of the song that gives the track a very special flow. In sharp contrast, there’s the 2:32 “Folkia’s First Decision”, an instrumental which concentrates around the contributions of guest musicians Fredrik Lindqvist (Ritual, playing around with recorders – must be the flutes in the track, I guess) and Elin Rubinsztein (violin). Because of the more excited nature of the track in its second and final part, I’m not sure whether it is completely acoustic, but I like to think so! One thing which I apparently failed to notice when reviewing Angling Feelings, is that in those occasions where the singers sing together at the top of their voice, their combined output comes across like something which is rather remeniscent of Yes’ Ian Anderson (in a way which sounds appealing to me, because personally I don’t care too much for Anderson’s style). Thanks to the fact that vocal roles are switched every now and then, there is a variety which helps the listener getting through the longer compositions for starters, and the complete album to end with! Thanks to the underlaying complexities in the overall very melodic music, those among us with a more critical mind where music is concerned, are certain of many hours of listening pleasure before having successfully analysed what this sextet brings us! Due to lack of time (an the fact that I don’t have Internet at home, from whence I’m writing this now) I’ve been unable to check the information highway for websites where you might find (old or new) audio by this band. I’m hoping you know your way around for this once? Otherwize get out of your chair, and visit your local record store to see whether they have the album for a listening session. Warning : you’ll want to take the album home for sure! Nice addition to that “Best Albums Of 2010”-list of mine! 98/100 Tony. |
