WHERE IDEAL AND DENIAL COLLIDE

ODDLEAF group founded in 2020 coming out of nowhere, sounds on YES, GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, CAMEL or even RENAISSANCE for the older ones, WOBBLER and MOSTLY AUTUMN for the younger ones.

"The Eternal Tree" latent piano-synth-mellotron intro, solemn, atmospheric rise, it announces heavy; a bit of medieval like in the old days when the intro brought you to the musical space, a flute in the distance. To make you shiver and stop your ear on it for cinematic prog blood bringing "Life" with the organ and the invasive vocal, a bit of AMBEON for your information, suave childish voice for a creamy harmony. Adeline juggles between softness and energy, slipping on the fat, velvety organ, the one from the time when we took our time, on that of Francis DECAMPS from the 70s, on the famous Charly OLEG who will show that the Hammond can be played on TV at prime time. The keyboard variation starts with an enchanting amalgam of musical colors, the flute worthy of an elven episode of the Lord of the Rings tempering the climate and bringing it with this warbling to a classical space. Everything is well fitted together to go from tender to emotion, from energy to sensuality, but this keyboard makes you think about this first opus of a group that came from nowhere. "Ethereal Melodies" follows, flute, melody of yesteryear, the neo-classical-medieval air making itself felt; Adeline makes the air vibrate, the keyboard always bucolic and vintage, the rise on an exhilarating folk trend with symphonic touches. A forward voice that dares to sing clearly in English launching a really well-made guitar solo by Olivier, high, fruity, airy, progressive; in short for the moment it's heavy.

"Back in Time" attacks the longest title, posed, an atmospheric-medieval variation on the bewitching voice of the CORRS, the tullian flute and the analog organ for the moment regression. AGUSA is the group that comes to mind; uptempo piano break to set the fire, but it doesn't take there, it's too soft, too folk, too predictable. The medieval air fortunately takes over, the synths look at those of the MINIMUM VITAL; the fairy flute with this shared feeling of the long title and the final rise of Carina's keyboards. The flute of JETHRO TULL refers to the progressive, vintage and logical madness with a last intoxicating funky solo. Note the voice-over of Dan CURTIS, in short a little flute good, too much flute kills the flute. "Prelude" as its name indicates, laughing seagulls, wavelets and magic keyboard, very beautiful shivering atmosphere leading to "Coexistence - Part I" for the slap; at the beginning it smells of jazz, but really a trait, then we embark on a progressive symphony where the Hammond reminds me of the one played by ANIMA MUNDI, on their 'Insomnia', in short 4 grandiloquent minutes. The flute break takes up the soporific side, the piano drives the point home, the sax synth with KING CRIMSON sauce sweeps this feeling away with a musical reverse, the organ worthy of a GENESIS from the 80s then worthy of an ODDLEAF with a technician decked out in the person of Carina. The final rise between the synth flights and the borderline heavy soft guitar that amplifies the modern sound of this final piece with the enjoyable megaptère cinematic. "Ethereal Melodies (Clip Edit)" as an almost useless bonus except to add that the guitar solo made me think for a moment of that of the EAGLES on their planetary hit, a sign?

ODDLEAF group that dares to offer prog rock from the 70s revisited in the 2020 decade. Originally on Profilprog.