5.20

NINE SKIES is this recent band known in a small room at the end of a road from which you never come back. NINE SKIES is the French progressive rock group inspired by rock, pop, progressive, jazz, maybe neo-prog on the MARILLION, some titles of GENESIS. Inviting some big names from the prog world, they come to surprise by the singular musical orientation peculiar to themselves; this latest baby is a nod to their often late bassist (that's it). 5.20 is an unplugged record, or almost, with string quartet and composed from A to Z by Anne- Claire. An unclassifiable album where we are going to dive, sink.

"Colourblind" begins with a duet of voices, acoustic guitar, tambourine, jazzy gypsy atmosphere, Lilian's cello, distant voice of Achraf well placed which declines a most pleasant imaginary life, appearance of the spleen sax of Laurent accompanying this digression of strings , a nice appetizer for a pleasant and inventive unplugged sound. "Wilderness" on an "A Trick of The Tail" variation, soft tempo, Aliénor using her voice well and responding with measure on acoustic folk; break with the appearance of Steve HACKETT (and his guitar) with a sound to melt, between melancholy and intimate air, a star that remains anchored in our ears. "Beauty of Decay" continues with an instrumental acoustic guitar interlude where simplicity and purity prevail, leading to introspection. "Golden Drops" arrives, reminds me of an arid break from GAZPACHO, impressing emotion and collection; the drum sets the rhythm; Arabizing air, Ashraf's voice that really adds something to this group; the notes seem to unravel, it sets off on a diabolical, intoxicating, mysterious and austere battle of stringed instruments; one more. "Above the Tide" for the most majestic track, there is MOODY BLUES in it, bombastic and intimate, yet another musical oxymoron; existence of a progressive creative latency, the choir voices bring goosebumps, the symphonic strings in a magical crescendo fly away and join this crow quoted in the text; another great moment. "Dear Mind" for another instrumental where two guitars and a piano come to take the la in this musical café, invitation to a melancholic bucolic journey of all beauty, to meditate without doubting this turning point in life.

"The Old Man in the Snow" for the departure towards an orchestral universe; Breton folk rhyme in the tradition of a GENESIS bell, the contribution of the raw acoustic guitar is surprising, the voice is just sublime, narrating, taunting the instruments; John HACKETT's flute plunges the C into a nostalgic musical space. "Godless Land" for a primary LAZULI aria, archaic, full of emotion, but what Ashraf sings divinely; a little waltz of "Love is All" in touch and then it goes up with a duet of guitar and voice, fortunately because the lyrics are very dark, a reflection of a pandemic, of a disease and of saving words, a cathartic sign surely. "Porcelain Hill" for the album slap; Damian WILSON pushes strings on a composition while crescendo, releasing an atmosphere serene, melancholic, nostalgic, filled with hope; well he's taken by ARENA but hearing him here is a must, his voice taking all the usable air to vibrate even more. "Achristas" and the last instrumental, dark, chilling piano, ideal for contemplation, to come on an intimate film soundtrack like "Delicatessen". "Smiling Stars" for the final clap, piano and voice, drawing on that of Steve HOGARTH; the basic rhyme goes up, the sax coming slowly to graft itself to the intimate melody directing you towards the end just towards SUPERTRAMP; it's sweet and addicting, it's confusing and latent.

NINE SKIES is releasing this romantic spleen album to make us think about this pandemic, a record to take on yourself and listen to alone, far from everything to recharge your batteries; I don't know what little-big Alexandre did about it, but I can feel his vibes that he exudes in his personal albums. An unplugged, underground acoustic opus far from musical dictates, throwing dark, nostalgic atmospheres leading to meditation and hope. In a few notes, you have in front of you a fresh and dark record, elaborate and complex, ideal in fact.