CRIPTA NAU

One of my primary motivations for starting this site was highlighting small-time bands that are easy to overlook. One such act is Ulls. Ulls (Catalan for "eyes") is a one-man project based out of Barcelona that plays a somewhat heavy, eerie, organ-fueled variety of prog. The music often leans heavily on atmosphere, evoking certain acts who have scored films, like Goblin or early Pink Floyd.

Their 2019 LP, Anoia s'apodera ("Boredom sets in") was one of my favorites of that year. However, it was released in December 2019, and I didn't discover it until a few months into 2020. Thus, all it got on this site was a brief Odds & Ends entry. That is a big reason why my year-end best-of lists now cover December-to-November. When I got the alert from the Bandcamp app that Ulls was releasing a new record, titled Cripta nau ("Ship crypt"), I was quick to pre-order it.

A slow, lurching, doomy riff opens "Cap de llop, cos de serp" ("Wolf's head, snake's body"). Electric piano, echoing guitar, chanted vocals, and thumping drums give this opening cut a spooky, ritualistic feel that reminds me of Ulls' fellow non-Castillian-Spanish prog band Moura. Tensions remain high as the song picks up momentum. Guitars spiral and twirl, playing harmonies in slightly-off-sounding intervals, adding to the disorienting atmosphere.

Cripta nau's title track comes next, and it's got a much warmer, almost lighthearted feel in its opening. The bass and vocals have a strange bounciness to them, but when guitar and electric piano join, that adds a sense of gloominess to things. This song's relaxed pace provides a nice balance to the constant, swelling anxiety of the album's opener.

"Clapits a l'alba" ("Clapped at dawn") has a stormy opening with wailing vocals and crashing waves of organ and distorted guitar, but this turmoil is soon contrasted against more restrained passages. Ulls expertly keeps the mood of this piece claustrophobic, and the sense of forward movement never ceases, even during mellower moments.

Side two of Cripta Nau is consumed by the 15-minutes "El descens" ("The descent"). Airy-yet-ominous syncopated acoustic guitar starts things on a relatively light note, but there is a sense of something more brewing beneath the surface. The melody, atmosphere, and modal choices all remind me of a slightly darker version of early '70s Italian prog acts, like Banco del Mutuo Soccorso or Biglietto per l'Inferno. Moments of heavy guitar will swell up, only to be abruptly undercut with acoustic guitar and rich keyboard tones.

Musical themes are revisited in slightly altered ways, lending a satisfying sense of continuity to this long piece. Things remain fluid and exciting as the song alternates between vocal and instrumental passages. Warbling, reedy organ and clear, glassy synth tones contrast beautifully with the crunch of the guitar. The song's end is fairly quiet and adds hand percussion and echoing atmospherics that call to mind classic Mars Volta albums.

Ulls' second full-length release is another wonderful addition to their oeuvre. Cripta nau is heavier and more psychedelic than Anoia s'apodera, but it's no less enjoyable. It shows growth and exploration, and I'm looking forward to hearing more of this act's evolution.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/07/08/album-review-ulls-cripta-nau/