OLD WAVES NEW SEAS

The second album by a Finnish band, this time sung completely in English, unlike their debut Paperimeri. I had this new CD for nearly two months on my shelf of the borrowed CD's before I even re-listened it. Well, the bigger reason for that postponing must be that I've been busy with other albums, but nevertheless... On the first round I remained quite cold to this music - there was something I didn't like, without really being able to put my finger on it - , but the later listenings were whole lot better. Though instead of learning to love the music I figured out what it was that I don't like.

The cover art (sunlight on water) reflects the nature of the music: flowingness, impressionism, richness in little details and the lack of grand gestures or solid structures. Also the lyrics paper has pictures of seashells, shrimps and such. The lyrics themselves don't much deal with oceans. They are not the easiest ones to get hold of; I think they tell something about human behaviour on a psychological and environmental point of view. The music has some folkish touch here and there but not as much as jazz element. Aquaplan have been compared to MOSTLY AUTUMN but certainly they don't have majestic Floydian solos or anything like that. They do have a female voice quite similar to MA's Heather Findlay. Also Sally Oldfield came to my mind (and Liisa Tavi from Finland). Musically Aquaplan has some resemblance with early WIGWAM (albums like Being), or Pekka Pohjola's solo material. Less keyboards perhaps, and more acoustic guitars.

The music is well played and sung, good and harmonic in a very mature way. It never uses cheap tricks to win the listener's heart. In fact, it has a sense of UNDERSTATEMENT. I mean while it keeps having that jazzy floating nature, it never starts flying. No notable contrasts. No solos or visible multi-part structure even in longer (8-9 min) songs. That's the thing I didn't like: it all remains so - how would I put it - introvert. As if no player has the guts to show off a little, to step forward from the ensemble playing. This gets irritating especially when there's no singing for a while. But otherwise, fine album, certainly worth checking out.