The debut album was enchanting and enjoyed it a lot. However, there is quite the buzz about this second effort going around the world on numerous sites, always a good sign, especially when it is scheduled for release in mid-August ! (I know the feeling and am living it now) . Marco Edenya is still running the show, with a new vocalist in Ingrid Denis, who is just as savvy as Clelia Lenoble was on the debut. The same guest musicians show up here as well, but what has really changed is the level of confidence and audacity in composition, arrangement, bold artwork and overall impact. To state that this album is a giant leap forward (no Mao references , please) , is quite the understatement.
From the dreamy splendor of the pastoral “Back from the Endless Seas”, the listener is immediately transported in a watery universe (due the wavy piano in particular) and Ingrid doing her best impersonation of a siren, beckoning the tired sailors to her breast. The melody seems eternal, a melodramatic swoon that maintains a symphonic sense throughout, this is simple frilly magnificence. “The Outing” heightens the pace, while remaining intensely melodic, Marco’s guitars morphing cleverly into a whopping crescendo of sound, as Ingrid flutters over the rampaging beat, with the rhythm section throttling in particular stepping up, big time. The contrasts between the raunch and the velvet are astonishingly rendered, showing a maturity that could possibly challenge the seasoned professionals of this style (Karnataka, Mostly Autumn, Panic Room, etc…). Chapeau!
A moment of sweetness on the crystalline “Little Girl”, where sublime melody and heartfelt lyrics sit at the table, enchanting and memorable. A prefect set-up for the next track, the steamrolling “Foreign Ground” , led by a robust JP Cartigny bass charge, a heavily filtered voice and a definite Middle Eastern/North African riff, as best expressed by the cobra-like electric guitar laceration. Then comes a sweeping Saharan mirage-like mid-section, nicely orchestrated for maximum effect, introducing the serpentine violin (Juliette Carradec) that takes this to an altogether heavenly level, Marco blasting away with a thrilling electric blaze on his fretboard. Drummer Sylvie Sj bashes away as if the spirit of John Bonham occupied her soul (and muscles). A towering effort.
The audacity to follow up with another epic 9.5-minute track proves their valiant mind-set once and for all. The title piece maintains that tropical mood, as both the mercurial djembe and the swirling vocalizations evoke a sirocco in full regalia, the rhythmic belly-dance sonics supremely restrained, with Marco injecting a subtle riff, so as to heighten the hallucination. But the core of the arrangement relies on an unhurried pace, as if transfixed by the cinematographic feel, eyes closed and ears wide open. The insistent lead guitar turbulence is jaw-dropping, a solitary caravanserai traversing the widest expanse of endless sand dunes, no palm trees in sight. “Fichtre” as they say in French!
Three compact tunes follow these two behemoths, and it comes a sonic relief. “Flying Dream” reverts to honied melodiousness, a sedate arrangement leaning heavily on orchestration with pizzicato strings plucked in tender fashion, the violin solo taking over with romantic fervor, coiling amid the wailing vocalizations (for which I am an absolute sucker) . “Princess of the Light” keeps the enchantment level on continuous focus, rising the rhythm so as to make the soul tremble a tad, easily to most accessible piece here, though Ingrid raises the vocal stakes with apparent impunity. The third wheel is the romantic neo baroque instrumental “Like A Falling Leaf”, an arrangement that relies on acoustic guitar, piano and blissful orchestral transpositions, a 3-minute jewel that could have gone on for another 10 minutes (as it did in my mind), gorgeously intense. Perhaps (oddly) my personal fave piece here.
Back to epic dimensions, as the 10 minute “My Burden” certainly encompasses all the attributes the band has offered with this sophomore album. Setting a bedrock of melodic intonation for the first 3 minutes highlighted by a no-frills approach, but when the bass, drum and heavy guitars enter the fray, the mood becomes weighty, resolute, ominous and dark. The drums in particular show no mercy in the onslaught. A reflective pool mid-section suggests an introverted recollection of past afflictions, some nebulous, others stark, as Marco takes his frazzled guitar into angst-ridden realms.
‘Terminer en beauté’ as the French love to say, “Lady” is another marvel, a fragile ode to the feminine, Ingrid’s voice reaching the distant regions beyond the stars, nothing fancy in the arrangement, providing the delicate touch of harmonious attraction. A vocal partner to the previous “Falling Like a Leaf”, which is how I feel, having listened to this album repeatedly and fallen to my knees. Definitely a top 10 contender for album of the year, that needs to be heard by all. I have found Eden -yeah !
5 Clandestine Targets