BIRDS OF PASSAGE

KARFAGEN is the group of prolific and multi-instrumentalist Antony KALUGIN who also worked on HOGGWASH. This album was released barely a year after the highly acclaimed "Echoes From Within Dragon Island", an immense CD for its ingenuity. Here, Antony takes up a story of Henry Wadsworth and William Blake for a sound story eyeing YES, GENESIS just for the sounds of the synths. A little more CAMEL and TRANSATLANTIC, ROINE STOLT, a little QUIDAM at the start, even a touch of PENDRAGON for the flights and also MOODY BLUES came to my ear. More than anything, it's guaranteed immersion for 2 long spool tracks followed by 2 other normal titles and one extra available on digital. In short, real symphonic progressive rock as we dare not dream of. Music with many more musicians including the fabulous Mathieu SPAETER. Convoluted arrangements, mixtures of all the bands as if they were actually coming to make their own musical beef.

"Birds Of Passage p.1" and its five well-linked parts (don't go looking for the cuts, the 22 minutes go by in one go) leads the listener on a "Supper's ready" track that you will have to dissect in wire tapping. More vocals than in the previous CD, but also more solo moments with synths and rhythm guitar then solo. It's cheerful, playful, melodic and also a bit repetitive. It's beautiful, complex and also a bit overplayed, a bit too predictable; touch of MOODY BLUES, TRANSATLANTIC and GENESIS forward, a bit of FLOWER KINGS, then CAMEL, folk, medieval, vintage drawers especially also, the real melting pot in fact. Only one element, the rises of the first notes are an invitation to travel, then it goes off without a false note with breaks and other transitions in a limpid way.

"Birds Of Passage p.2" and its bucolic entry, a little bit on the "Horizons" of which you know, brings a monument with start-up on notes of YES revisited, a little on the tune of "Machine Messiah" , then an explosion of symphonic notes. Return by more recent GENESIS, after the separation with GABRIEL, and then the tune resumes with an incisive chorus interspersed with solos of synths and guitars. It even becomes punchy rock at times. Then Olfieldian breaks appear (bells and guitar from "Tubular Bells"), others a little jazzy, others a little to ENO itself. There are also sounds of the great KING CRIMSON, in short, the well- organized tote. An almost hard passage also gives a little more power to this long title. It all ends with a long, predictable, somewhat ethereal finish.

"Spring (Birds Delight)", one of 3 bonus tracks, to a tune by White Zulu Johnny Clegg; it's dancing, tribal. The violin and especially the guitar give the melody for a relaxed atmosphere, with percussions and well targeted vocals, which remind me a little of the MANFRED MANN'S EB of "Somewhere In Africa". "Sunrise" starts directly with a new-age sound with a little "Sonner Les Mâtines", the flute, a progressive, latent atmosphere, enough to rest your ears after the two master titles. On the verge of spleen too and a return to more Celtic tribal voices. Title which reminds me a little of certain tunes of "Plains Music" still of MMEB. Finally, only available in digital version, "Birds Short Introduction" comes here to take on the air of the first title, nothing more in the end.

KARFAGEN with his mentor Antony took up the challenge of the too close opus. This album is just prodigious, mixing closely and further all the sounds recorded in our musical subconscious. This album is distinguished by the use of sung melodies. However, in my opinion, it is less successful than its predecessor which I told you about at the beginning of this column. Well, you got it, a drawback given the grandiose production of "Echoes From Within Dragon Island" that I finally undercut! Ah, the columnists are not what they used to be, but it allows me to dive back into "Echoes" again.