TUVALU

This Finnish band is a good example of how the term Crossover Prog sometimes tells nothing concrete about the music. Usually CP is such prog that comes close to accessible pop, but that's not the case with TUVALU. This is at times noisy and aggressive, and always deeply introspective, edgy and merciless music - plus strongly progressive, perhaps unlike the group's earlier albums. I tried to get into their debut Pimeä Saartaa Meitä some months ago but just couldn't. Its cold and noisy alternative pop made me feel frustrated and bad-tempered. However, talking of this album, after surviving the fast and aggressive first songs there are something for me too.

The language is Finnish which may be a problem for foreign listeners. Vocalist and lyricist Annina Antinranta has a peculiar cruel sensualism in her singing - her voice being not very far from the Finnish pop star Jenni Vartiainen -, but unfortunately there are many moments where she expresses herself as aggressively as the music does, and that goes beyond my personal enjoyment capacity.

But those parts that are not so angry, and which in the end may form the majority of the album, are great, both in the progressive sense and purely emotional sense. Antinranta's lyrics are fine already in their own right, but it's really the combination of the text and the dynamic music that is so powerful. At times it gets calm and ambientish too, but always there is the strong feeling of presence. As I'm more or less outside of my comfort zone here, I'm not the best person to give references. Others have mentioned the later KING CRIMSON and MARS VOLTA.

My three stars feel a bit stupid for this breath-taking album. You see, to a large degree I'm rating music according to my own enjoyment. But I can understand very well why those few ratings here are either four or five stars. As a side note: Annina Antinranta has released a solo album under the name Passing Human Parade, which is more accessible music; my wife (an anti-prog listener, mostly) got enthusiastic about it for a while.