THE HUNGRY HEART

"The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others;...The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death." -Philip Kosloski

"Go on and feed your heart/So you'll become one who you are." -"DIssolution"

In this, the third full-length album released by smalltape, German multi-instrumentalist/composer/sound designer Philipp Nespital and fellow musicians explore the deep realms of soul, heart, purpose, meaning, and madness.

They do this by developing symphonic and crossover progressive rock compositions into powerful gems of shimmering sound and landscapes of bleakness and beauty, artistically woven together in this tapestry of despair, loneliness, and passion.

Hearts Can Be Broken

Oh yes, indeed they can. Here, in the title track to open the album, and throughout this challenging conceptually linked music, we meet the agonized protagonist and his imaginary- yet too real- lover, set to rich keyboards, orchestrations, tortured poetic ruminations in spoken voice, male/female octave singing, wailing saxophone, rumbling bass, and pretty authentic but I think programmed drumming.

There are cinematic shadings along with soaring guitar solos, and extraordinary continuing red-line as our protagonist enters the spiritual desert, seeking without finding wholeness or healing or purpose.

Hearts Need Love

"Colors", track 7, suggests via dark synths and pounding drums, that the heart consumed by hate can scarcely tend the earth and to the vulnerable people of the earth.

"Let's show them colors they can't see/ Let us paint the grey cold streets/ Let's share a love that they don't feel/ Let's be all that they can't be"-

So sings the hopeful chorus, yet another of the many melodic sections threaded throughout this album. And always, the curious contrast between the highly polished and cultured musicianship and composition, and the bleak, dark ruminations of the hungry heart.

Perhaps the Heart Must Surrender

"Dissolution", the finale of this opus, spells out most completely the spiritual and musical journey set before us. Opening with distant, removed spoken word, the protagonist is unable to decipher the pulsing, throbbing sound that distorts the average, run-of-the-mill 'ordinariness' of the day. Introspective piano chords that become increasingly busy, with an active bass line and a complex bass and drum pattern, lead to a singing, soaring sax line, and the protagonist saying, "The sound was inside of me/ And I had no idea how to deal with that".

Intensity in the instrumentation grows- as does the growing sense of madness, "Hold on, give me a break/ It's more than I can take"- and soaring lead guitar sings over majestic orchestration.

Which leads to the solemn, grand conclusion in the symphonic music and this line, "Go on and feed your heart/ So you'll become the one who you are".

Surrender to the rhythm, to the majesty, to the struggle, to the madness- so the heart can fully express its own wisdom.

A Lot to Absorb

There's a lot to absorb in the sixty-five minutes-plus opus, impeccably produced, often somber in tone, with only flashes of light here and there.

For me the arc of the concept doesn't always hold, yet is gripping and worthy still. "Colors" seems out of place, although a lovely piece. And it's hard to agree that the lonely, broken heart flirting with madness can heal by surrendering to itself.

That aside, this is a worthy addition to the progress rock canon.

My Rating

4 smoldering stars- not everyone is as absorbed by concept as I and the music is engrossing.

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