ESPRESSO DELLA VITA - SOLARE

On most part of this review I'll analyse the album track by track. Instead of giving na overall view.

First track is entirely instrumental, harmonies are well crafted, and guitarist delivers nice phrasings. Spaces are fullfilled all the time, which prints a considerable intensity on the composition. Next track is its continuation, but this time there are vocals. Spaces are completed with less intensity, somewhere between crossover and heavy prog. I enjoyed the piano insertions. On it's end vocal harmonies become great. Here, and on most of the other tracks, drums are a little more of a support to the remaining instruments, than a creative part of the composition.

A very brazilian kind of acoustic guitar, called 'viola caipira', is on the first moments of third track. It soon gives his space to the guitar. From now on this song becomes almost prog metal, slightly heavy prog. Another interesting instrument they use here is the triangle. When the second half of this song arrives, harmonies become more rich and complex.

The rythmic proposals of next track are more smooth and a bit groovy, matching properly with the excelente vocal harmonies. As on the previous music, here the solos are almost always assumed by the guitarist.

On "Water Birds" a string orchestra executes a georgeous introduction, along with inspired vocals. Drums are more inventive and diversificated. Sinthesizers are also more versatile, even though they're on second plan. The strings come and go along the song, very precisely, with wonderful female vocalizations. The guitar solo starts with bass tones, that gradually goes towards high tones.

Next track can be denominated as a good AOR.

"The Seed" begins with a religious chorus, and a slightly spanish acoustic guitar comes along. Seems it's regretting something. This song has 15min, divided on 12 parts. Only sometimes I could identify the transitions of the suíte. When it's almost over, the instrumentation is fantastic.

Drums try to resemble, on the introduction of "Far West", to an accelerated gallop. On the resto f the song, this musician shows good versatility. And some other western sound effects are made on synthesizers.

The following track begins with a slightly blues vocals (genuinely inspired) and acoustic guitar. Drums enter calm, and delicate accents are performed on synthesizers, melodic, that prepare the mood for fabulous vocal combinations.

I can say, on this point, that the (many) secondary singers are all good, and the vocal harmonies, generally performed by the main singers, is almost always one of the highlights of this album.

"Penitência" is a delicious and powerful exhibition of progressive rock with a musical genre named mangue beat. This style encompasses essentially some folclorical musicality from Northeast of Brazil, with pop-rock influences. About the vocals, this time their absolutely perfect, and matching strong and consistently with the instrumental. It's the only track sang in their local language, portuguese, all the others are in english. IMO, the best track of this work. And there is this charming aspect that part of the vocals is sang by the grandmother of the main singer.

Penultimate track is sung in english and spanish. Nice composition, initializing with a kind partnership between the synth-almost-piano, the acoustic guitar, and the gentle cymbals. Vocals are more sober, without that tiny shouting that's on the rest of the work. More natural. Superb variations on rythmic sections, surprising synth solo, enjoyable female vocalizations, close to the tranquilizing end.

3.8 on a 5-star scale for the music. The graphic conception of all the items ? booklet, cover, CD ? are outstanding, pushing the note to a 4.1.