HALFWAY BETWEEN HEAVEN AND MIRTH

"Halfway Between Heaven And Mirth" is the 7th studio album by the excellent german band Argos, which is influenced by classic symphonic prog, Canterbury- sound and artrock, so it sounds anything but german. The album once again combines rich melodies, complex harmonies, concise rhythms and relaxed lyrics to create an individual, independent sound-cosmos. Argos embodies everything that is prog and continues to evolve with each album. There are 6 shorter titles here that appear to be simple and light, but are so detailed with beautiful musical ideas that you can really enjoy their majestic fullness and sophisticated playing technique. There is also an LP-side-long 8-part suite that underlines the compositional skill, feel for dramatic structures and sense of thematic concepts of the musicians involved. Eventful prog is offered here, which extends the heyday of this genre into the present.

"Marshmallow Moon" starts off straight away with a fruity, catchy pop tune; synth and violin up front, a break with cinematic prog vocals, a vintage feel that doesn't take itself too seriously, an appetizer leading to "The Fire of Life" with jazzy guitar and vocals, a sax that reinforces the impression and reminiscence of a bluesy STEELY DAN. The vintage atmosphere is typical, the trumpet, the electric guitar, the airy drums in the distance, everything to bring a haunting sweetness à la SADE. Good bucolic prog. "Fidgety Philip" on the same thread with a Latin fusion tune in addition; the prog is meant to be danceable, jazzy, moving away from their neo prog side of yesteryear. A break with a nervous violin, a deconstructed sax; a velvety keyboard then the sax bis repetita causing confusion, announcing a jazzy soul prog fusion, unique. "Fontanelli's Dream" Genesis guitar arpeggio for the mid-tempo with Robert WYATT-style vocals; a more complex title than it seems with the melancholy guitar solo accompanied by syncopated drums, too short. "Make Me Smile" begins with strings, the madness of a precursor XTC; a piece that rises on a contemporary jazz-rock drift that does not take itself seriously. The neo is gone and gives way to eclectic prog, soft, cottony and jerky, hilarious like Bogati's guitar solo. "The Other Life" or the Hackettian interlude with Lewis CARROLL sauce; a playful space out of time that calls out even more about the sound of ARGOS.

"Daedalus Machines" for the musical main course; acoustic Genesis guitar of yesteryear, vintage keyboard oozing the retro-contemplative atmosphere; 8 suites that change from the first side. Introspection, research, the air rises gently, calmly, the hints of GENTLE GIANT emerge. The guitar swells, on a heavy riff of JETHRO TULL, yes the flute confirms the orientation. The variations of musical tones lead to a complex terrain typified with aggressive vocals responding to the dynamic instrumentation; the sax, the jazzy clarinet then the vintage keyboard sprinkled with the guitar of a GENESIS make the hairs stand on end with emotion, bringing serenity. The ambient break with the continuation entitled 'Labyrinth' confirms the intense musical work; a bit of Japanese sounds in the distance with a well-crafted jazz-rock passage on the electric piano for a moment of disconcerting latency. The suite with guitar solo starts on a fruity marshmallow space, the atmosphere settles, returning to the acoustic start with 'Fortitude', on a melancholic romance where Robert WYATT's voice comes to wake us up, the similarity is strong. The 'spleen' guitar delivers the final blow referring to the great GENESIS. "Marshmallow Moon (alt. Version)" in the finale brings nothing special. Origin on profilprog (3.5).