ITZIAR

Sole album from yet another Basque progressive folk group, this one being named after their female lead singer. This sextet presented a duo of guitarist, a flutist and singer Itziar Egileor and managed to sound like The Trees mixed with some of Tull's folkier elements, but a good dose of jazz influences as well. The album came in a superb pastoral and nocturnal gatefold artwork, and on the inside a no-less pastoral drawing of the band and maybe a wink to Genesis' W&W album and was released on the Xoxoa label, and reissued on the inevitable Elkar label in the mid-90's.

Made of nine relatively short but intimate tracks (all under 6 minutes) that are clearly modern folk (allowing itself to search freedom in jazz), where Itziar stay mainly in acoustic mode (but not hesitating to foray in electric realm), with a superb flute (bring in a slight symphonic touch as well), female vocals (often doubled by the bassist), their sole album is a small gem of the Basque culture. If Itziar sound very Fairport-ey (as in English-type of Folk rock, there is the odd Latin influence percolating through the wax of the record: the odd slight Fado, Tarantella and even a touch of Iberian (note to E.T.A., I said Iberian, not Spanish ;-) and of course their Basque touch. As the group starts out with their two longest tracks, they announce the full spectrum of their adventures. Most of the other tracks are more singled-focused (either bordering on jazz, psych rock, semi-medieval (the odd harpsichord bit) or even almost hard rock, while remaining true to their gentle (but not corny or cheesy) folk. Truly a great album to get laid by, and I doubt your girlfriend would say otherwise. There is even a not-too-painful accordion in one track. Too short a record, though!!

One of the things I would've done is to place the first two (longer) tracks at the end of the album or at least one on each side of the vinyl. Because here, they seem to spend all of their trump cards a bit too early, but luckily their hand is close to a full house or a royal flush. One of the best Basque gems around with really only Haizea's second or Itoiz

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