TAROT, PART I

4.5 stars. MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER became a four piece in 2013, and that four piece wold release their debut in 2020. This band is from Spain, and they play a spacey brand of psychedelia with male and female vocals. It's interesting that they drop to a trio on this their second album "Tarot Part I", and some 8 months later they release "Tarot Part II" as a duo with no guests.

So two albums in one year but it completes the subject of Tarot cards. And while I'm not into this subject it certainly is interesting as a concept album. I really appreciated Walter Wegmuller's "Tarot" album from the early seventies. Walter was an artist and he painted his own Tarot cards, plus he was an expert on the subject. A huge inspiration for Xavi and Eva our two main players here was Daevid Allen. And meeting him at a music festival must have been a dream come true.

So yes they name themselves after the opening song on GONG's debut "Magick Brother" from 1969, but switch the order of the names. And while my favourite psychedelic band from Spain is ATIVISMO, I have to admit this band is approaching that level with this record. Mind you the music here has more in common with SATURNIA, from neighbouring Portugal. Eva is the keyboardist and main singer while Xavi plays the stringed instruments. Some guests add spoken words, percussion, sitar and flute.

The opener "The Fool" after a spacey start kicks in with a catchy rhythm. A great opener actually as it's catchy, melodic, and it moves with some pace. Some acid guitar before 3 minutes. A trippy track. "The Magician" really shows this bands stripes. The spoken words, the piano, the depth of sound, the atmosphere. So drifting at times with the synths helping with that. "The High Priestess" opens with piano and guitar expressions bringing to mind Conny Veit and POPOL VUH. There will be a lot more of this on the next track. I like the mandolin on here and really there's lots of beautiful sounds on this track.

"The Empress" sounds like a lost POPOL VUH song because of the guitar mostly. So refreshing to hear this though. Mellotron, spoken words and more. "The Emperor" like the opener adds some energy to this record. "The Hierophant" is a cool tune with that sitar. More sitar on "The Lover" along with synths, mellotron, guitar and organ. I really like the flute on the next track "The Chariot", and also on "The Justice" which is my favourite song overall. A bass line to start the latter as drums arrive, and I really like this. Flute then vocals. Almost a jazz vibe here.

"The Hermit" is different, of course. It's an instrumental that sort of breathes in and out with guitar, synths and mellotron. Lastly we get "The Wheel Of Fortune" which had to inspire Vanna right? I'm not sure why I'm not hitting the five stars here, but 4.5 stars rounded down for now. And for sure this will rank high in my top ten or so of 2024.