AINAVIHANTAA

After releasing two studio albums with the same 5 piece lineup Tony the guitarist has left and was replaced by a horn man thus changing their sound significantly. The singer also always played guitar and still does but there's much less of it. No guest flute like on the debut instead we get a trombone and trumpet player guesting on that final track. My first listens to an album are usually very telling as I have an ear for the things that I'm prejudiced about when it comes to my music and with this album I instantly had reservations about the style of that sax feeling it's getting a little too smooth there at times. Still many listens certainly overcomes some of the things that bug me and I do really like this album overall. I still prefer the debut though, it's more my style.

So six tracks and two of those are instrumentals. All the info in the liner notes is in Finnish just like the vocals. But yes the mellotron is back and the organ is again prominent. And I do like those understated vocals a lot. They remind me of some bands but not enough to put a finger on which ones. A nice warm analog sound here and the one thing this album beats the debut with are those uplifting moments like on the closer when the vocals and sound all gets louder after 5 minutes it's just such an emotional moment. And yes this album seems to break out much more than the debut which doesn't always mean it's a good thing.

The opener starts with some thought as we hear pings like on FLOYD's "Echoes" then synths roar in before it turns heavy. Best part is when it calms down and the vocals arrive reminding me of the debut. Organ floats in the background with a slow beat plus throbbing bass lines. It all gets louder after 3 minutes as a horn joins in. A calm follows then synths growl over the bass and drums. Vocals are back before 4 1/2 minutes. Themes are repeated. A really good opener. Next is an instrumental that brings VIOLETA DE OUTONO to mind at the beginning, mainly the organ and picked guitar. A change as clarinet arrives and much more. I love how it brightens at 1 1/2 minutes. Pretty cool and a moving section for me with that picked guitar, floating organ, bass and drums. That might be my favourite.

A catchy chugging rhythm on the third track. Mellotron flutes after a minute and I like that guitar as it all calms down here. Horns join in before 2 minutes. Mellotron is great. That catchy rhythm is back! Themes keep coming back in this one. Vocals for the first time at 4 minutes during a calm. "Dyadi" opens with atmosphere as drums and bass join in. Mellotron floods the place. Yeah this is really good. Not as good when the horns and vocals arrive but it's still excellent. Organ kicks in. It's moving as the vocals get more passionate 2 minutes in. "Haavan Vari" is the shortest track and a cool little instrumental. Love that bass and the guitar around 1 1/2 minutes. Organ comes in with authority a minute later. Not big on the honking horn style later on that closer, reminds me of THE BEATLES.

I really like this band they do it right even though I feel they could do each album better, but that's more my tastes than anything else.