BOOKS THAT END IN TEARS

tRKproject is the group of Ryszard Kramarski, keyboardist of Millenium, fantastic composer, releasing here his 5th album, debuted in 2010; a two-voice side-project for vocals, using great musical tracks and avowed reminiscences of Pink Floyd, Camel, enjoyable Marillion-style solos, prog and melodrama! 4 sequels taken from 4 cult books by W. Golding, F. Kafka and G. Orwell with a close or very close link to current events; the title in my opinion refers to its last cover with its tears. Note the help from Marcin from Moonrise, Grzegorz from Loonypark and Krzysztof from Millenium.

"Lord Of The Flies" intro à la Pink Floyd, I let you find with waves and lamenting guitar! Karolina has a voice to melt, a tune already heard on the last one with a country connotation! Flute, symphonic air, pompous acoustics, synths do you want a lot! an oriental voice followed by the dreamlike solo of the guitar, final more latent with male voice yes, final heavy tribal air coming from a desert island before the waves pick up again to leave; the major title of the album. "The Trial" with a helicopter synth to take off directly and a monolithic syncopated air; nervous guitar break then it starts again on the air à la Pendragon, 2nd more Génésisien station wagon and brilliant spleen guitar; the extension is more varied, rock, more worked, complex to define, a plus. The finale looks to the end of 'The Wall' genre The Trial 'with the roaring guitars, also Fly to the Rainbow'; resumption of the chorus. Progressive title with energy to spare, spleen and explosive. "Nineteen Eighty-Four" with a heavy, imposing bass, calmer air, guitar with Rothery spleen assured, good 1984 has passed for a long time and we are worse in terms of freedoms, depressive title. Fortunately keyboards that Wright would have loved to hear put on a bit of happy notes; Big Brother is no longer scary, hold a magnificent violent Floydian riff just before setting off again in musical limbo, on that heady sound of 'The Wall', in Ryszard's own head. Or how to go ten minutes without realizing it.

"Animal Farm" for a melodic prog rock tune at the start, a 4-minute break that calls out to you, but yes it seems?, voice that screams to avoid the sirens, the Floydian guitar solo that tears the spider's web from my musical salon, the voice à la Waters, the keyboard à la Barclay James Harvest which calms the game, a last enjoyable solo to continue to glide, to avoid descending on this arid land, well we go to the male voice sequence and there you will decide which CD carries you the most.

tRKproject releases catchy melodies in a musical dreamlike maelstrom; an album that looks like the previous one but giving more intensity through the many innovative breaks and winking on dinosaurs, those we still dream of but don't listen to enough; a sound on the edge of old and new, of art music in its fullness whether you are Jekyll or Hyde, Yin & Yang, Karolina or David. Double CD release of the album

This is a Polish formation that was founded by multi-instrumentalist Ryszard Kramarski, also prime mover of the popular Polish progrock band Millenium. It is the fifth effort, since the debut CD entitled Music Inspired By The Little Prince from 2017. The new album Books That End In Tears is based upon four 'cult' books: Lord Of The Flies from William Golding, The Trial from Franz Kafka, and Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, both from George Orwell. The current line-up features Ryszard Kramarski (keyboards and acoustic guitars), Marcin Kruczek (guitars), Grzegorz Fieber (drums and percussion), Krzysztof Wyrwa (bass) and on vocals Karolina Leszko on CD, and Dawid Lewandowski on CD2 (same music on CD 1 and 2, but with two different singers).

1. Lord of the Flies (12:23) : After a very Pink Floyd-like dreamy intro a slow rhytm follows with pleasant female vocals, in a mellow atmosphere. Halfway the music turns into more lush and dynamic featuring a mid-tempo with a flashy synthesizer runs, followed by a long and moving guitar solo, in the wonderful tradition of David Gilmour, Andy Latimer and Nick Barrett, I love it. Then a part with hypnotizing exotic percussion and spoken words, and finally dreamy Neo-Prog with pleasant vocals and twanging guitars. To me this sounds as Pink Floyd inspired music, blended with typical Polish Neo-prog, very melodic and harmonic, with an important role for the element emotion.

2. The Trial (11:07) : This dynamic compositions starts with a mid-tempo and a tight beat, coloured by howling guitar runs, often in a bombastic atmosphere. Then emotional female vocals join, culminating in a heavy wah-wah drenched guitar solo, the combination of the guitar and female vocals is wonderful, with strong emotional overtones. Halfway the music shifts to dreamy with a melancholical undertone, and sensitive Gilmourian guitar leads. In the final part an eruption with heavy wah-wah guitar and, ominous keyboards, and propulsive drums (The Wall by Pink Floyd comes to my mind), concluded with emotional female vocals.

3. Nineteen Eighty-Four (12:58) : The atmosphere is dreamy, with a slow rhythm, the guitar and vocals colour the music wonderfully with emotion. Then spacey synthesizer flights, and a Gilmourian guitar solo with soaring keyboards, this is Neo-Prog Heaven, beautiful, 'trademark' Polish Neo-Prog! Halfway an exciting break with propulsive drums and fiery and howling guitar runs, again The Wall by Pink Floyd comes to my mind. In the final part lots of flowing shifting moods, from dreamy with piano to bombastic eruption with howling guitar, wonderful and compelling.

4. Animal Farm (11:48) : In a mellow climate with a tight beat the guitar and female vocals colour the music with strong Pink Floyd hints. Halfway dreamy guitar work, melancholical vocals, and soaring keyboards, then an excellent break with a heavy wah-wah drenched Gilmourian guitar solo, supported by tight beats. Next a mid- tempo with powerful female vocals and piano runs. In the final part another moving guitar solo in a wonderful compelling Neo-Prog atmosphere, concluded with tender piano and dreamy vocals, a bit melancholical.

I am familiar with all four books (high school literature), The Lord Of The Flies and Animal Farm are even in my Top 10 of favourite novels. Listening to this album I conclude that the band has done a good job, especially the guitar and vocals. The male singer sounds a bit more melancholical, matching a bit better with the books. But in my opinion the music could have been a bit more dark and agressive at some moments, especially Lord Of The Flies and Animal Farm. Because these two books are here the best metaphors for the dark side of the human being, in the past, now, and in the future, because we do not seem to be able to change that?.

My rating: 3,5 star.