NIGHT

"Night" is the 4th full-length studio album by Norwegian alternative/progressive rock act Gazpacho. The album was released through Intact Records in February 2007. "Night" saw a deluxe 2 disc reissue on the Kscope label in 2012. It´s a slightly different album compared to it´s predecessors, as they all featured "regular" length tracks, and "Night" features a 53:21 minutes long concept piece, divided into 5 seperate tracks.

The overall concept is about dreams. Where they end and where reality begins, and the protagonist´s exploration of that concept. A rather ambitious theme, but Gazpacho pulls it off in a natural way and with a good flow. The music on the album is a mellow (though dynamic and occasionally louder), emotional, and slow building type of alternative/progressive rock, where melancholic atmospheres, and Jan Henrik Ohme´s distinct sounding vocals are the focal points.

"Night" opens with the 17:00 minutes long "Dream of Stone", which is a very slow building and atmospheric track. While it reaches several epic climaxes along the way, it´s still feels a bit too long and repetitive, which isn´t nearly as much an issue with the shorter tracks on the album. With that little issue out of the way, the material on "Night" is still generally of a high quality. It´s obvious that much thought have been put into creating these tracks and the lyrical concept, but personally I could have wished for more catchy moments throughout the album. It´s a grower for sure, and the more you listen to the songs, the better you remember the hooks, but they aren´t exactly easy or accessible upon initial listen.

The album features a pleasant and warm sounding production, but the drums could have prospered from a slightly more organic tone. In addition to bass, guitars, drums, and vocals, the music also features keyboards, and the occasional use of violin. All musicians are well playing and Gazpacho comes off as a very professional sounding act.

Upon conclusion "Night" is yet another professional and enjoyable melancholic rock release with progressive leanings by Gazpacho, and certainly the highlight of their career up until then. Previous releases by the band weren´t always stylistically consistent and the quality of the material also varied (though still within a standard to good range), but "Night" is pretty accomplished, from the songwriting, to the sound production, to the musicianship. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.