HIMLABACKEN VOL. 1

I decided doing this review almost a year after listening for the first time and the first impression of the album didn't quite change. The main factor is the mood of the album. There is sugar? Yes. A lot. But a quite uplifting album is just what i wanted to listen at the time (after the dark Steven Wilson's great album), and by almost a year this is what I feel to listen almost everyday. The album's joyfulness and the playful mood is a combination that could sound a bit childlike, but the richness of the sound and details makes is just tasteful do listen casually tham to listen carefully. The lightness of mood makes it good to fit in different ocasions.

This being the first Moon Safari album that I listened, I was really impressed by the richness of the compositions and the way the album brought to me a lot of different elements that I wanted to listen but not the way I was listening in the last albums I was in touch. The anthemic guitar introduction to Too Much Young To Say Good Bye. A lot of different vocal-focused moments in Kids, Mega Moon Queen'ish sections for instance. And a lot of uplifting mood atmosphere during it all.

The song that can take in a deeper analisys is Sugar Band. As it moves from a soft piano- led melody to a faster paced proggy sound, the song plays with strong vocal interludes and some welcomed breakdowns (like the tasteful guitar solo). The rythmic/melodic drastic change in the middle gives the song the freshness a 9 minute song needs to be enjoying. It's catchy in all the different moments.The final section as strong with the alternance of the gentle solo, the anthemic final vocal section, the string-led section and the delicate final piano part makes a strong album ending.

The rating is based on the concept each number of stars stands for. This is an Excellent adition to any prog ROCK music collection. (if you are about prog metal, for instance, this album can be good as well, but far from essential for your collection).

Personally, It's an 4,5 star rated album, one of the best I've listened, and after listening all of Moon Safari albums I choose the last as my favourite. In a complicated 2013 year this is surely a top tier.

3 Stars - My Little Man 4 Stars - Too Young to Say Goodbye, Red White Blues, Barfly, Kids 5 Stars - Mega Moon, Diamonds Hors Concours: Sugar Band (In my opinion, one of the top songs of the year)