STOPOVER - LIFE

A very solid work from this neo prog band from Poland

Poland seems to be now one of the most prolific countries of the neo prog...I understand why many british neo prog bands love to present concerts there.

Well their 3d album ...and the experience shows fruits ,the musical concept definition is accomplished : a very melodic ..romantic...light neo prog.

Beautiful melodies...nice vocals ..good instrumentation..good arrangements.

So I Feel this is the response to British neo prog bands that are in the line of this prog music....lets say....Marillion(Hogarth era first albums) and Jadis...maybe Riversea too.

So I had a pleasant listening to this album.

Four stars.

A really different type of album in my Prog collection. While a lot of 80's style Arena Rock and Progressive Pop seem to make up for much of the sound and style of the album, the musicianship, arrangements, guest vocalist, and overall quality make this an album worthy of mentioning.

I don't think I would have ever known about this album had I not heard Mr. Strange the closing track on an internet radio station. Yes it sounded a lot like Arena Rock but the vocalist was really good and it sounded more Proggy than most songs I like from Asia. So why not? I wrote it down and looked up videos for this album and artist. Eventually bought a couple of albums this one still being my favorite from Moonrise.

A one man project with a couple or so guests seems to be the norm for what you get on a Moonrise album. The musicianship is superb. This Kamel Konieczniak dude is really good. There are some really great acts out of Poland. This is way different from any I have heard. Very 80's Arena Rock approach but very atmospheric and reminds me a bit of those Windham Mill New Age artists in the same decade which makes this even more difficult to categorize. To complicate things more Smooth Jazz/Fusion crossover styles enter in and out of the album. Russ Freeman/The Rippingtons come to mind. It also has flashes of the Instrumental Rock that boosted in popularity at the end of the 80's and became even more popular in the following decade. Yes quite a obscure mixture of styles which really makes it interesting and something completely different in anyone's Prog collection.

Guardian Angel and Unravel Your Soul are a couple of favorites of mine and pretty much all the tracks fit the description I just mentioned. It's an interesting combination of styles. It's a combination of more conventional styles mixed together making it unconventional plus plenty of Prog thrown in. Not for everyone because some of the styles here will polarize a few. If your looking for something different and something more relaxing and mellow. Good coffee shop/lounge type Prog. This might be for you. It actually sounds quite a bit like the Smooth Jazz/New Age music my Father listened to mixed with the Prog I listen to. Somehow this album resonates with me and makes me feel good listening to it. I recommend checking it out and you be the judge.

Let's coin a new word: cuddle-prog. "Stopover-Life," the third album by the Polish band Moonrise, the group led by multi-instrumentalist Kamil Konieczniak, inspired me to do so. The tender, oh so beautiful sounds of the album absolutely deserve to be enjoyed between the sheets at least once.

The album features nine neo-prog-tinged compositions, each one as delightful as the next. Don't always expect explicit neo-prog. Aside from a few Jadis-like moments, you're mostly treated to a kind of soft music with a creamy, melodic prog twist. Konieczniak truly gives it his all in this regard. The music is layered on a foundation of deep bass and lush synthesizer sounds. However, it's worth noting that you'd be misleading yourself if you think of this foundation as dark. There's actually a lot of light shining through on this album.

Konieczniak adorns his music with beautiful acoustic guitar strokes, delightful keyboard themes, and sparkling piano notes. It's a well-prepared bed on which the other band members truly excel.

First and foremost is vocalist Marcin Jajkiewicz. With his pleasant voice, he brings a similar warmth to the music as Gary Chandler does with Jadis. He has a fairly ordinary voice, which he doesn't force with unnecessary embellishments. Jajkiewicz is, above all, a sincere vocalist, and he needs that credibility for the lyrics written by the previous singer (Lucasz Gall). The album deals with a broken relationship and starting over. "

Blind Faces is particularly beautiful, where Jajkiewicz does his utmost to capture all the emotions, and he succeeds brilliantly. In fact, he turns every track into an enjoyable listening experience.

What truly stole my heart is the elegant saxophone playing of Dariusz Rybka, which regularly appears throughout the songs. From his lovely runs in the atmospheric title track that opens the album, he demands attention. A clear theme like in Start Up Song is, of course, always welcome, although he is at his best in the solo of Guardian Angel. Rybka can easily be considered the cherry on top, and yes, he later went on to play with Millenium.

Another standout is guitarist Marcin Kruczek, who delivers one impressive solo after another. Think, again, of Gary Chandler's style. All of his contributions are noteworthy, especially his work in the thunderous Flying In Empty Lands, as well as Konieczniak's own contribution in the poignant Unravel Your Soul. The drumming by Grzegorz Bauer is also exceptionally tasteful. It all sounds superb.

This is a magnificent album, and it will undoubtedly have an impact.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com