Druckfarben
started off performing covers of Yes/Genesis/King Crimson/Gentle Giant and
others in the same genre and indeed, legend has it that the first song at that
debut gig in 2008 was “Close To The Edge”….a confident band indeed! The band
were always working away at original material and the result is their self-titled
CD.
There
are nine tracks of varying lengths from the short instrumental starter, “ELPO,”
at 2.5 minutes to the album finale with “Nonchalant,” clocking in at just over
7.5 minutes.
“ELPO”
is a great starter track to the album, keyboards to the fore, and just a hint
towards ELP, well the title suggests more than just a hint. Certainly it sets
the scene for what is to follow. Track 2, “Influenza,” has a very distinct Yes
feel to it, with Phil Naro’s vocals reminiscent of Jon Anderson (if not quite
that high) and that superb guitar sound from Ed Bernard certainly calls to mind
Steve Howe. Great keyboards from William Hare around the 3+ minute mark
followed by a chance for the bass player, Peter Murray, to “have a blast”
before it builds nicely to a finale.
“Smaller
Wooden Frog” has an interesting title, fairly long keyboard intro, and
interesting, if somewhat harsh, time changes leading to a comparison with the
Flower Kings. Not quite as seamless switches in time changes as the master,
Roine Stolt, but retains the interest through the song.
Track
4, “Dead Play Awake,” has excellent guitar runs by Ed and memorable riffs, but
I find that Phil’s voice seems a bit low in the mix, even when boosted by Peter
on backing vocals. The feeling is that there is a constant battle between the
music and the vocals which detracts from the song. A beautiful piano melody is
taken up around the halfway mark with lots of echo on the vocals and this
changes the track totally. The “oomph” returns to take the song out and again
the indistinct vocals reappear.
Almost halfway through the album and I am
sitting in the big comfortable prog rock armchair, fairly pleased with the way
things are going. ”Walk Away,” track 5, has a good guitar intro, but certainly
seems to fit more into the AOR genre than earlier. Not a particularly memorable track…but short.
“Seems
So Real,” follows with a keyboards and bass intro, which is a bit on the quirky
side and definitely different from the earlier material. It is a slower tempo
song. There is lots of strumming guitar and clear vocals but merely pleasant
and not in any way memorable. “Nat
Nayah,” is a welcome return to the Yes style with guitar, piano, strings intro
and great clear keyboards soar into the mix just after 3 minutes and continue
on merging with the cultured guitar work of Ed again. This is a much more
interesting track again after the slight lapse.
The
phrase, “just when you thought it was safe” now springs to mind with track 8,
“Sons of Anakim.” A jazzy start, but when the vocals appear, the only thought
that I had was…grates! The backing, a
sort of jerky rhythm, seems to be involved in trying to outdo the vocals and
the guitar and keyboard breaks just seem to be discordant, and I don’t think
that it works on any level. This is easily the poorest track on the album.
The
last track, “Nonchalant,” has a lot to do to make up for the previous track,
but the excellent news is that this is superb and a fitting finale to the
album. An excellent acoustic based track with great vocals and lyrics, a
mandolin to the fore, and a subdued violin weaving a magical background riff.
Just on the 4 minute mark, there is a change to a superb piano led melody until
the mandolin reappears further on.
Overall
the album certainly has many more highs than lows, but the lows are poor. Druckfarben has definitely shown that they
are a a force to be reckoned with, but they will have to be more careful with
their choice of direction. The plus points are easily picked up when there is a
“classic” prog rock feel to the music, but as with many bands they are not
content to simply stay in the “comfort zone,” and are trying to push the
boundaries, something they should be commended on. Sometimes ideas will work but
with others it is back to the drawing board. Druckfarben are off and running
and certainly worth a listen.
3.5/5 Stars
Key
Tracks: ELPO, Influenza and Nonchalant
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson
August 14, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment