SKYMIND

Taal is a band hard not to like if one is a prog fan. hard indeed. They are just so full of complexity, humor, intelligent musicianship and funny French accents it's not easy to say no to them. ah, and to top it all, they are really good at it! And if that isn't enough, and if this might scare some non hardcore prog fans away, they manage to be totally accessible, it's not hard to get into them (hard is the key word people).

Skyminds is the bands second and latest album to date (hopefully that will change. soon I expect!!!) and unlike their first one it's more of a group's effort. It's also better, if I may say so. The musicianship is tighter, more focused and has more of an edge than their previous work. It also sounds more modern and richer, due thanks to the fact that there are. more instruments present (duh!).

The album starts with some static radio sounds before beginning to. change from station to station, always with a new background music until the listener is left with some (almost) trip hop drum beat. Skymind has begun. Followed by cellos and that disorientated guitar that is a trademark in Taal´s music the song begins to mutate as it goes faster and faster with every passing guitar riff. Then, it all becomes a controlled mess, Taal never looses control of what they do, it only seems like it sometimes, but repetitive listening will uncover their mysterious use of this method. The songs keeps on mutating( changing is just to clean and. well, mutating just sounds so much cooler in this case). The vocals are, in English with a veeeeeeeeery French accent that suits the music for they give it a sense of comedy already presented with the instrumentation, but with vocals it just gets better and funnier.

That's pretty much the story of all songs, but don't be alarmed, they do not copy-past themselves! Every song has something different to offer, and if I may say so, quite a lot actually. These guys really took their time here (three years in fact) to make every song as strong as possible and every note as good as the last one. Apart from Skyminds, which I consider to be their best I must mention Yellow Garden, Blind Child, The Purple Queen's Lips, The Egg Shapped Moon and Stratus! .wait a tick. did I just mention every song on the album for recommendation...? oh, yes I did! YES I DID!!!

Recommended to any Art rock, Fusion, Metal, Symphonic, Folk, Celtic, Rio, Avant Garde, Zeuhl, Trip Hop, comedian, white, black, Chinese, Turkish, Latin, young, old, married, happily married, single, swinger, Dream Theater lover, Dream Theater hater, maniac, school teacher, blogger, doctor, lawyer, constructor, architect, painter, homeless, tall, short, girl, man, woman, E.T., dancer, Kevin Costner, hungry, naked, n00b, mother. just get the damn album!!!