ZOUP

What a joy to have a new Kraan album in 2023, more than 50 years after the beginnings of the band! There isn't that much information out on the album yet, but it seems most music has indeed been recorded recently, with the odd exception (keyboarder Ingo Bischof, who died in 2019, is present on a track; former saxophonist Alto Pappert also makes a guest appearance on one track, which may be fairly recent).

The band operates as a trio with founding members Hellmut Hattler on bass and (very rare) vocals, Peter Wolbrandt on guitar, and Jan Fride on drums. The pro and con of these veterans that were 3/4 of the original Kraan in 1971 still going on is that the album isn't exactly full of shocks and surprises. Kraan do friendly optimistic swinging very well played Kraan music, reliable for the fans but maybe not necessarily attracting new listeners, although for somebody who doesn't know the band, this album is as good an entry point as any studio album (but check out their live ones first). The music is melodic, warm, mostly instrumental, with jazzy influences.

One winning ingredient of the Kraan formula is the perfect balance between teamwork and instrumental performances. There are many solos of Peter's wonderful guitar (most songs have two or more guitar tracks). There's also a guest keyboardist, Martin Kasper, who is rather prominent in some parts of the album, and integrates himself perfectly into the band's sound. Jan and particularly Hellmut with his unique style of bass playing are very strong instrumentalists, but don't go on solo trips and instead support the overall sound. Generally the music is well composed and structured (all compositions and words by Hellmut Hattler) and the band comes together to generate a unique ensemble sound, which sets it apart from much of jazz rock/fusion.

I find a number of Kraan studio albums rather hit and miss, but not this one, which presents a consistent approach with some moderate contrast (particularly the more rocky vocals-driven "Twisted") and no weak spots. I think I haven't enjoyed Kraan albums from beginning to end as much as this one for a very long time, certainly not studio albums (they were always better live).

When it comes to the rating I have to be honest and say that this album isn't really that progressive and will be too much of an easy listening experience for many on this site. So the PA rating has to be three stars even though my personal enjoyment is certainly worth four stars. Check this out if you are a fan already, or if you like somewhat light but extremely enjoyable optimistic music played by top instrumentalists.