5.20

Mournful, Soulful Elegy

Gentle Delicacy with Waves of Emotion

What I hear in this new release (release date June 4, 2021) from (mainly) French progressive outfit NINE SKIES, is a tender and nakedly vulnerable meditation on death, life, and the question of faith.

With gentle acoustic guitars picking and plucking as though at our heartstrings, hushed and sometimes anguished vocals singing of that admixture of joy and nearly unbearable pain- yes, actual unadorned life- and with added sweetness from STEVE HACKETT's searing guitar, JOHN HACKETT's wailing, wandering flute, and stirring vocals from DAMIAN WILSON, each on one select track, we have washes of restrained yet strongly-etched emotion depicted in song.

The Full Band

- Aliénor Favier / vocals - Eric Bouillette / guitars, mandolin, violin, keyboards, arrangements - Alexandre Lamia / guitars, keyboards, arrangements - Anne-Claire Rallo / keyboards - David Darnaud / guitars - Achraf El Asraoui / vocals, guitars - Bernard Hery / bass, fretless bass - Fabien Galia / drums, percussion - Laurent Benhamou / saxophones

With: - Steve Hackett / guitar solo (2) - Damian Wilson / vocals (9) - John Hackett / flute (7) - Cath Lubatti / violin, viola - Lilian Jaumotte / cello

Near as I can tell- although vocal performances aside from Mr. Wilson's are not specifically credited- each member of this gifted nine piece outfit, plus additional string contributions from two guests, show us what restraint, arrangements, compositional skills, and thoughtful presentation can yield.

Gone are the bombast and grandeur of earlier NINE SKIES music, and instead we find a cornucopia of poetic ideas and images- largely penned by keyboardist Anne-Clair Rallo- wedded to lush and most often acoustic instrumentation that takes us from hushed and wistful, to impassioned and painfully hopeful.

Everyone shows up; everyone contributes. And oh! that saxophone!

Did Someone Die?

Especially in the final track, "Smiling Stars", I thought so. Especially then, reading back through the lyrics, I thought I could capture a sense of threads throughout- the loveliness and beauty, and ugliness, and hurt- the dark figures like the menacing reaper who stalks through the most golden of moments- and the gleaming of gold or the glittering of stars that may- or may not- portend something beyond this vale of tears.

I Am Touched and Moved

For me, this is an album that could repeatedly be heard and pondered, for it has layers and depths and subtleties. I rate it as an "Excellent addition to any progressive music collection", and find in it a departure in which greater possibilities may emerge.

NINE SKIES is this recent band known in a small room at the end of a road from which you never come back. NINE SKIES is the French progressive rock group inspired by rock, pop, progressive, jazz, maybe neo-prog on the MARILLION, some titles of GENESIS. Inviting some big names from the prog world, they come to surprise by the singular musical orientation peculiar to themselves; this latest baby is a nod to their often late bassist (that's it). 5.20 is an unplugged record, or almost, with string quartet and composed from A to Z by Anne- Claire. An unclassifiable album where we are going to dive, sink.

"Colourblind" begins with a duet of voices, acoustic guitar, tambourine, jazzy gypsy atmosphere, Lilian's cello, distant voice of Achraf well placed which declines a most pleasant imaginary life, appearance of the spleen sax of Laurent accompanying this digression of strings , a nice appetizer for a pleasant and inventive unplugged sound. "Wilderness" on an "A Trick of The Tail" variation, soft tempo, Aliénor using her voice well and responding with measure on acoustic folk; break with the appearance of Steve HACKETT (and his guitar) with a sound to melt, between melancholy and intimate air, a star that remains anchored in our ears. "Beauty of Decay" continues with an instrumental acoustic guitar interlude where simplicity and purity prevail, leading to introspection. "Golden Drops" arrives, reminds me of an arid break from GAZPACHO, impressing emotion and collection; the drum sets the rhythm; Arabizing air, Ashraf's voice that really adds something to this group; the notes seem to unravel, it sets off on a diabolical, intoxicating, mysterious and austere battle of stringed instruments; one more. "Above the Tide" for the most majestic track, there is MOODY BLUES in it, bombastic and intimate, yet another musical oxymoron; existence of a progressive creative latency, the choir voices bring goosebumps, the symphonic strings in a magical crescendo fly away and join this crow quoted in the text; another great moment. "Dear Mind" for another instrumental where two guitars and a piano come to take the la in this musical café, invitation to a melancholic bucolic journey of all beauty, to meditate without doubting this turning point in life.

"The Old Man in the Snow" for the departure towards an orchestral universe; Breton folk rhyme in the tradition of a GENESIS bell, the contribution of the raw acoustic guitar is surprising, the voice is just sublime, narrating, taunting the instruments; John HACKETT's flute plunges the C into a nostalgic musical space. "Godless Land" for a primary LAZULI aria, archaic, full of emotion, but what Ashraf sings divinely; a little waltz of "Love is All" in touch and then it goes up with a duet of guitar and voice, fortunately because the lyrics are very dark, a reflection of a pandemic, of a disease and of saving words, a cathartic sign surely. "Porcelain Hill" for the album slap; Damian WILSON pushes strings on a composition while crescendo, releasing an atmosphere serene, melancholic, nostalgic, filled with hope; well he's taken by ARENA but hearing him here is a must, his voice taking all the usable air to vibrate even more. "Achristas" and the last instrumental, dark, chilling piano, ideal for contemplation, to come on an intimate film soundtrack like "Delicatessen". "Smiling Stars" for the final clap, piano and voice, drawing on that of Steve HOGARTH; the basic rhyme goes up, the sax coming slowly to graft itself to the intimate melody directing you towards the end just towards SUPERTRAMP; it's sweet and addicting, it's confusing and latent.

NINE SKIES is releasing this romantic spleen album to make us think about this pandemic, a record to take on yourself and listen to alone, far from everything to recharge your batteries; I don't know what little-big Alexandre did about it, but I can feel his vibes that he exudes in his personal albums. An unplugged, underground acoustic opus far from musical dictates, throwing dark, nostalgic atmospheres leading to meditation and hope. In a few notes, you have in front of you a fresh and dark record, elaborate and complex, ideal in fact.

Review #11 - The acoustic side of prog. Today it's going acoustic, not to say "beautifully acoustic!". But more about that later.

First of all, I look back and realize that "5.20" is again one of those albums that can already inspire from the outside. The wonderful cover art by Michael Cheval makes the anticipation of the musical content noticeably greater. But the real highlight is of course the music itself. And if you look at the cast list, you'll be amazed: a nonet. Nine musicians play as a permanent part of the formation and are additionally supported by well-known guests like Steve Hackett, John Hackett and Damian Wilson in the right places. So many musicians also create a mighty loud sound, one might think. But the best thing about Nine Skies new album is that gentle prog in perfection is offered here. Acoustic guitars, violins, cello, saxophone, piano, percussion and muted drums, among others, form the musical core of "5.20". Without a doubt, the band succeeds in making all the instruments sound within a differentiated sound. The strengths of the group lie on the one hand in the songwriting itself, which surprises in many places and above all convinces, and on the other hand in the mood, which is built up and embellished over eleven tracks. The listener is taken from the beginning into the music of "Nine Skies" garnished with warm sounds and dives little by little into deeper and deeper realms, which is quite an exceptionally beautiful prog experience, not least because of many strong melodies. It may sound strange, but that's exactly how I felt after the first listen. Really!

Nine Skies live on their third album a unique synthesis of prog, rock, pop and jazz, which is to be discovered. And there would be so much more to say. So just listen to it yourself and let your ears be spoiled by the extraordinary nonet called "Nine Skies".

French progressive rock collective NINE SKIES have been weaving their rock, jazz, classical and progressive influences for several years now ? combining their acoustic instrumentation with deep and poignant, poetic lyrics. Their well-received 2017 debut Returning Home looked at a range of different characters from modern city life. Their second album, Sweetheart Grips, released in late 2019, was a dense, complex and often heart-breaking exploration of the experience of a young soldier in the Second World War and especially the tragedy of PTSD.

Their latest release, 5.20, is still recognisably Nine Skies, but more introspective and delicate overall, and I feel this could well be their best album so far. They retain the plaintive, melancholic vocals and lyrical content. However, the music is almost completely acoustic in nature on this occasion and yet has a layered depth, complexity and richness, with intertwining acoustic guitar and piano augmented by strings, flute, saxophone and rhythmic percussion. The musical journey is beautiful, yet challenging - dark and mournful, yet hopeful and uplifting as well. It demands your full attention, but you are fully rewarded by that commitment. Guest appearances by Steve and John Hackett and Damian Wilson are perfectly pitched and help create an excellent, contemporary and intimate exploration of the human condition ? looking at life, death, faith, struggle, suffering, despair and finally hope. The shadow of the current pandemic somehow seems to be etched on the music, without the need to reference it overtly.

Opening track Colourblind starts with smooth acoustic guitar and accompanying bass, with Aliénor and Achraf duetting beautifully on the yearning, poetic lyrics as the contrast between our dreams and reality is considered "I created a dream, A beautiful scene, Coloured balloons in the air, While my being's here." Simple piano motifs, cello and violin build up the tempo, before a jazzy saxophone from Laurent and jagged acoustic guitar, layered over the strings, brings the song to its conclusion.

For many, Wilderness, will be amongst their favourite tracks, not least because it is probably the most melodic and approachable. Lovely, Genesis-style guitar rhythms propel the song over recurring piano patterns. Despite the dark, emotive lyrics, the presence of Steve Hackett and a soaring electric solo over fretless bass, couple with a swaying percussive beat creates a lightening of the mood and that recurring sense of hope from the melancholic sadness.

Beauty of Decay is a very appealing acoustic/classical guitar piece which provides a shaft of light, before a disturbing, hypnotic beat opens Golden Drops. The ominous warning to hold onto your dreams despite your fears. "Cover your eyes, Cover your ears, Keep your golden drops, Dreaming hopes." A prayer-like vocal mixes with a swirling Arabian feel, gives a dislocated feel and sense of unease.

Above the Tide once again uses symphonic-like strings with piano to great effect, and these link well with the multi- layered vocals which almost overwhelm and swallow you emotionally, with the repetition of the main chorus; "Listen to the sea, The weeping sarcasm, Of a thousand smiles, Arise from the foam." Only the final acoustic guitar passage brings a calm to the dark swell.

Dear Mind is the second instrumental, driven initially by the guitar, but unlike the light of Beauty of Decay, we now have the disturbing shade, with the piano joining in and creating contrasting melodies as the tempo rises before the violin hints at a resolution of sorts.

John Hackett's wonderful, trademark, swirling flute concludes The Old Man in the Snow, where chiming guitar lines counter the lyrics pleading to the lonely protagonist to overcome his despair and 'tough it out'; "You have to be strong enough, To withstand the tears. You have to be tough." Ashraf's vocals are especially compelling on Godless Land, as he sings of losing faith against all that confronts us. A snippet of demonic waltz adds to the unreal atmosphere, with piano and guitar locked together as if in a dance towards the end.

An undoubted highlight is Damian Wilson's presence on Porcelain Hill and it is possibly the most accessible of all the album's tracks. He sings as well as I have heard him do so for some time and he expresses the wistful, poignant, weariness of the lyrics as his vocals mingle beautifully with firstly the piano, and then the soothing strings. It has the most memorable chorus ("Porcelain hill, is made of my heart, Melted by a hundred nights, Carved out of a thousand dreams, Smoke and mirrors") and again there is that hint of hope and light to cling onto. A beautiful song - at around 4 minutes in length ? it is just too short!

The third instrumental, Achristas is a dark, unsettling, yet contemplative piano piece that sets up the final track, Smiling Stars perfectly. An elegiac song of mourning and personal loss with all the acoustic instrumentation (including saxophone) and the vocal layering of the album, coming together in a heart-breaking manner and yet with maybe enough light and promise hinted at by the end, with: "When I look at the sky, I can see your eyes. When I stare at the stars, I don't see any goodbye, A thousand of smiling stars, smiling stars." As someone who has recently lost his father, thankfully to old age, rather than the pandemic, it is a tough, cathartic and yet beautiful conclusion to a strong and thoughtful album.

I asked lyricist and keyboardist, Anne-Claire about the album recently, and she was keen to emphasise that whilst it is was not a concept album like the first two, it is very poetic and has common themes and feelings that run through the whole album.

"Achraf (on vocals and guitar) joined the band at the end of the last year and his influences brought a lot to this album. His voice matches well with Aliénor's voice and he composes too ? along with Alex and Eric. Steve Hackett's solo is just amazing. His brother, John, recorded a track with Eric for an album by Howard Sinclair and then agreed to play for us when we were looking for a flute.

"I loved Damian Wilson's incredible voice and feeling on Porcelain Hill? he really loved the lyrics and the song immediately and it was a wonderful experience for me as well. As I am still French when I am writing lyrics? he just changed two or three words to be better 'English', but I have to say that I was so happy that he likes my lyrics so much! This song, and I would say the whole album, is very metaphorical and even if I wrote with my own vision, everyone can create their own vision and interpretation."

Nine Skies have produced a complex, challenging and yet beautiful album that is truly progressive and produces a power and depth at odds with the mainly acoustic approach. All the band combine wonderfully with the strings and guest musicians. The darkness of Anne-Claire's powerful, poetic lyrics recounting struggles and despair at this time cannot fully shut out the uplifting vision they also point to, and the need for us all to somehow carry on. I recommend reading the lyrics as you listen, as the French accent does make the occasional word unclear and they are too good to let any of them become lost.

Finishing on a lighter note, I asked Anne-Claire if there was a symbolic, mystical meaning behind the 5.20 title? "Our bassist Bernard is ALWAYS late? but I mean always! I think he was born late! When he went to the Prog en Beauce festival it was a long journey. We told him that if he was late we would leave without him. We scared him so much that he was the first one to leave at 5.20 am! It was so miraculous that we promised him to call the next album 5.20 as a result!"

(From The Progressive Aspect)

his is the third album from Nice-based progressive rock band Nine Skies, but somehow, they have passed me by until now, even though I can see that quite a few musical friends of mine took part in their second release (Dave Foster, Pat Sanders, Clive Nolan, just to name a few). They also have some guests on this album, with Steve and John Hackett both involved as well as Damian Wilson singing on one song. The band itself is quite a large one, with Eric Bouillette (guitars, mandolin, violin, keyboards), Alexandre Lamia (guitars, keyboards), Anne-Claire Rallo (keyboards), David Darnaud (guitars), Achraf El Asraoui (vocals, guitars), Alexis Bietti (bass), Fabien Galia (drums, percussion), and Laurent Benhamou (saxophones) along with two more guests in Cath Lubatti (violin, viola) and Lilian Jaumotte (cello).

There may be a lot of musicians, but what surprises the listener when getting into this is just how pastoral and acoustic it is. The arrangements are key here, with the different instruments wonderfully spaced and a real feeling of lightness. It is a relaxed album which feels very English indeed, with piano and acoustic guitar often at the heart. The percussion is interesting as Galia has a wide remit and is often using hand instruments as opposed to a standard drumkit and this provides a different underlying feel. Achraf El Asraoui has a lovely voice, full of emotion, and he can easily move into falsetto when he feels the need which again provides the band with a bigger palette. There is no rush here, it is all about the music and it is an album where it is very easy indeed to get lost inside and is definitely one which benefits from being played on headphones with no distractions.

I find it interesting when looking at ProgArchives that although this has picked up some reviews, none have been from the official collaborators, yet with 49 ratings and four reviews this has a very healthy 4.0 average which has it at #5 of French releases from that year. There is both a simple complexity and a complex simplicity within this album which makes it thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, and the mellow pace and style really does make this an album to savour. I can see I am going to have to look backwards into their other releases as this really is a delight.

On a certain day bands have the need to do something different than usual. Sometimes they seek refuge in an acoustic album on which a number of songs are played in a light-hearted version, often in a live setting. The French band Nine Skies has opted for a more daring approach as the album "5.20" released in 2021, consists entirely of acoustic new studio work.

That idea shows courage and that is commendable to say the least. In fact, only the music itself can throw a spanner in the works. Surely you don't believe that yourself? Knowing Nine Skies, you can expect music where taste and skill are of paramount importance. I am happy to take you for a tour along the tracks.

With Colourblind the album starts beautifully. This song, which has many nuances with its great pastel shades, sets the pleasant tone of the album in an undeniable way. It's always nice to be put on the right foot from the beginning of an album. Subtle playing on the acoustic guitar and nice parts of saxophone suit us, but it is mainly the new singer Achraf El Asraoui who stands out. His voice fits wonderfully into the music. As if you hear a cello with vocal cords, El Asraoui sound is low and emotional. All this evokes on a warm layer of keys, strings, bass guitar and drums.

In the first minutes of the subsequent Wilderness, the atmosphere is quite cheerful. El Asraoui is joined by singer Aliénor Favier. Their voices fit well together and that is a great benefits to this song. The composition, divided into three pieces, delves into a subdued intermediate piece and then, as a kind of reward, a beautiful solo by Steve Hackett on his electric guitar follows.

Beauty Of Decay, on the other hand, is a beautiful instrumental piece of acoustic guitar music. Alexandre Lamia's playing here has similarities with the style of Anthony Phillips or Eddie Mulder if you will. Partly due to the Moroccan origin of El Asraoui, the intoxicating Golden Drops goes towards world music, a beautiful song to which Eric Bouillette has added some sinister violinsounds. Above The Tide sounds pretty folky and so all the ingredients that are mixed on this album are called, he said.

Wrong, the music occasionally has an elusive jazz feel and because a small string section is also used sometimes you can hear classical music at these moments. Wherever they are, the musical interpretations are beautiful. Take, for example, the piano in the instrumental song Dear Mind and the typical Nine Skies song Achristas or take the flute part that guest player John Hackett has added to The Old Man In The Snow. Pure indulgence. Porcelain Hill, sung by Damian Wilson, should be mentioned in that context. With his intense voice he knows how to give a melancholic touch to the song which is his trademark. The closing track, however, is the biggest beauty of the album. Smiling Stars, the title covers it all. Every time I hear "5.20" I get a smile on my face and there are stars sparkling in my eyes.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com