PACHA / PÖRSTI: VIEWS FROM THE INNER WORLD

This album is a musical project by Kimmo Pörsti (drums, percussion and keyboards) from Finland and Rafael Pacha (electric - and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, lyre, mandolin, viola da gamba and electric violin) from Spain, supported by a wide range of guest musicians (on guitar, saxophone, Shuker bass, flute, vocals and bass). During my first listening session I am more and more pleased with the music on this album, it sounds melodic, accessible and tasteful, with the focus on wonderful work on guitars and keyboards. And the 10 tracks contain a pleasant amount of variety.

From a spacey synthesizer intro to a cheerful folky climate with mandolin, acoustic guitar and flute, culminating in a bombastic final part with fiery electric guitar and powerful drums in Under A Cloudless Sky.

First dreamy with flute, acoustic guitar, then a slow rhythm with strong high pitched female vocals and acoustic guitar, and in the end a moving electric guitar solo in Leap In The Dark.

The short track Shadows Of Lost Memories delivers a mellow atmosphere with twanging acoustic guitar and dreamy electric piano.

And Alone Against Tomorrow features accordion, flute and piano in a slow rhythm, then joined by dreamy female vocals and wonderful acoustic guitar, and finally a sensitive electric guitar solo (in the vein of Andy Latimer) and the distinctive lyre with acoustic guitar, simply wonderful.

My highlights are the two longer compositions.

The Man Who Walked Home (8:44) : It starts dreamy, with slow, bolero-like drums, soon joined by a sultry saxophone, then sensitive electric guitar runs blends. Next a swinging piano and saxophone in an accellaration featuring an exciting Rock Andaluz climate (Rafael Pacha is from the Andalusian city Cordoba), wow, I love it! Finally a fiery guitar solo with a distorted sound, again goose bumps!

Ventolera (8:55) : This is part 2 from the short first track. It opens with dreamy piano and synthesizer, in a slow rhythm, embellished with Santana-like guitar. Halfway mellow with tender piano and acoustic guitar, soaring keyboards and violin, a beautiful, very intense sound. In the second part again a slow rhythm featuring moving guitar with howling runs, wonderful!

My rating: 3,5 star.