VAGABOND

Review # 69 The multinational / Israel based band Subterranean Masquerade with its rather unique sound is back with a brand new album! I learned about them with the release of their previous work The Great Bazaar (2015). That was an album I really liked, listened to it a lot, and played lots of its songs on my radio show. And finally, I included The Great Bazaar in my annual Top-10 albums list of 2015. Almost 2 weeks ago I learned about Vagabond, and having in mind how much I loved the previous album, I added it in my music collection without a second thought. Vagabond continues where The Grand Bazaar stopped. Everything is present again; the beautiful melodies, the strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern 'essences', the sudden changes in music styles and even the growls from time to time. Although the sound and style are almost the same, the major change is the addition of Brass instruments which makes their sound even richer. I will not get into details this time, because the album is still fresh, and I haven't listened to it as much as I would like; because I believe that this is an album that requires lots of listenings in order to be appreciated. But based on the first 3-4 listens, I have to say that it is a very good work, with strong and very interesting compositions. Subterranean Masquerade are inviting us in a "Mediterranean Feast" of sounds and colors once more, and it's up to you to accept the invitation. I did, and haven't regretted it. This is a 3.5-star album for me, but I will add half star more, for the excellent and unexpected cover version of Space Oddity, that closes the album in the best way possible! 4.0 stars