LET THEM SAY

Notturno Concertante have been around since the 1980s, but this is the first time I've ever heard of them. I was struck by the album cover. The dark tones and rustic textures combined with that face are interestingly evocative. First things first, this is not symphonic prog. The closest I could compare this to anything is Lunatic Soul, although that comparison doesn't really hold for anything other than general vibes. There's a whole lot that this album tries to tackle. From folk to world music, jazz to chamber music, and electronic to downtempo, there's a lot of influences spiraling around. Every song is a thick cloud of these sounds, phasing from one to the other. The overall effect of this is a pretty calm vibe at best and somewhat frustrating at worst.

Easily the worst part of this record is the juxtaposition of preset-core electronics with very transparently produced acoustic instruments. There's something that jumps out about those very shiny and flashy electronics that completely contrasts with the vibe. In other words, it's jarring. One second I'm grooving, the next I'm wretching at how they build up songs to this point where they've established a very clear and unwavering mood and completely toss it away for some flashy LFO laden electronics. I want to get behind this album, but the complete lack of subtlety in the choice of electronics is a dealbreaker to my ears.

There are some truly beautiful moments throughout. The title track is pretty nice, but my favorite was Handful of Hopes, easily the best song on this record by far. It might be because the electronics are actually well handled for once. I don't mean to imply that all fusiony artists have to comply to some aesthetic standard, but the fact that this record so strongly holds onto this tightly-woven chamber aesthetic with jarring and unpolished electronics is a shame. Check out the title track and closing 3 tracks, the rest is a mixed bag for fans of Lunatic Soul, Amarok, or some of Steven Wilson's solo and side work.