WHERE IDEAL AND DENIAL COLLIDE

A debut album with a title like that will definitely get the Rogue's attention, and as transatlantic telepathic waves often work well, the band contacted this writer for a review of their impending release. Oddleaf has been working on this work for over 4 years, a courageous form of dedication, as the first album can be quite a challenge in breaking through the competition with a new twist to the vast panorama of styles that Prog can offer. Keyboardist whiz Carina Taurer and Mathieu Rossi on flute /electronic flute performed their due diligence by playing mostly medieval music for a decade and deciding to plunge into a Progressive rock project that fit their vision. Filling out the group, Olivier Orlando handles both bass and guitars, with drummer Clement Curaudeau and vocalist Adeline Gurtner completing the line-up. The Oddleaf sound is a melange of styles, ranging from the bombastic to the pastoral, with a focus on mostly ecological themes.

A piano and flute introduction sets the mood right from the start on "The Eternal Tree", with a whooshing mellotron blast to sizzle the senses, some electronic flute branches and a sense of adventure that blends gingerly into the nearly 12 minute long epic "Life". The lead vocalist glides into the busy arrangement with a newborn gentleness that does not fail to impress, a sudden organ rush thrilling the ears as it chops through the booming rhythmic forest of sounds from the guitars, bass and drums. Mathieu Rossi reintroduces his electronic version of the fabled silver instrument into the mix, which evolves quickly into an absolute whirlwind tour de force that slams fiercely and then veers back into more idyllic shades where the acoustic guitar and flute rule (always a genius combination).

The chorale breeze finally scours the horizon as the cycle nears it natural end, as the flute hushes its long last breath. Such is life, enjoy while it lasts! The rustic meanderings on "Ethereal Melodies" announce the softer side of the band's muse, with the piano and flute swaying in feudal-tinged joyfulness, the tempo raising when the chorus kicks in with quite the sonic elevation, thanks to the massed male and female backing voices. The uplifting centerpiece melody is breathtaking, the denouement never predictable but effortlessly accessible. Olivier Orlando unleashes a grizzly-bear guitar rant that reverberates with passionate glee. The synthesizer flutter outro is priceless.

The colossal 14 minute + epic is next, as "Back in Time" tackles the core essence of what this French band seeks to achieve, a perfectly balanced style that incorporates all the elements that are found in the vast panorama of sounds that prog has to offer, with controlled restraint in building up the tension. A decidedly Middle Ages feel is presented, the bass carving hard in the undergrowth near the moat, the trilling flutes and quavering synths dancing the gavotte, the burning organ thrashing the banquet hall, torches aglow, a merry time being had by all. Back in time, seeking refuge in your childhood, and believing in fairy tales, indeed! As far as adventurous spirit goes, this is quite the number! The ornate piano and pied-piper flute lead the way, through the drawbridge as the booming bass guitar faces the dragons head on. Carina ravages her keyboards with heroic ardour, the intense rhythm never far from "endiablee"! A tremendous slice of prog, I giggle in nervous enjoyment?.

A slight intermezzo with the habitual "Prelude" before leaping headfirst into battle on the implacable fury of "Coexistence -Part1", opening up with smoking hot mellotron cavalrymen, knighted guitar lances, bass bombards hurling cannon balls into the fray, synthesized archers invading the sky with their deadly arrows and the organ- drenched war flags aimed at the enemy. Coexistence? Pas tout de suite! The skirmish dies down and the solemn aftermath is expressed by a solitary flute hovering over the ravaged plain, the consequences of human folly overtly depicted by a dissonant cacophony of angry blasts from all of the instrumental interveners. This was the piece that confirmed my delight with this incredible debut, as the themes are rigorously illustrated, reigniting the prologue mellotron tempest, an instrumental 'chef d'oeuvre' that should conquer many hearts and minds among the prog troubadours, minstrels, raconteurs and even the odd 'jongleurs'.

4.5 Bizarre plants