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HARP & A MONKEY
The Victorians
(2019 - self release - UK)

http://www.harpandamonkey.com/the-victorians/

Harp & a Monkey have a vision with grand meridian, mixing Victorian period rare street, parlour, work, popular, and folk songs, with their own modern take, with an eye opening and thrilling result. From start to finish, 'The Victorians' entertains, captures the imagination, tosses ingenious stories with a charming music, that gives both the authentic presence of attending an ancient carnival and then slowly strolling over to a bandstand of buskers and minstrels putting on a most wonderful set of shows. It is actually much more than this as the booklet details each song and the origins and topic. These range in scope from fist fights to heroic feats and sordid event such as wife auctions. More subject matter than one would expect in one platter.

The three members spent over three years working on the tunes in their home studio in Manchester. This, their 4th album, they made a decision to give the songs to Darren Jones (engineer and aid to bands like Stormzy, Giggs, and Skepta, to name a few) to mix and master. A project slaved over by Martin Purdy, Simon Jones and Andy Smith, the group created distinct music with high invention (they have a reputation of twisting things a bit), deep imagination, raw emotions, and lucid atmosphere. Each composition is refined, seasoned with gentleness (as one would expect the Victorian age to be), and presented as a beautifully wrapped gift. Sparse, yet with touches of field recordings and various sound treatments, the variety of instruments are folk based (vocals, accordion, guitar, banjo, harp), but fused with things like glockenspiel, viola, and a few surprises that I won't reveal so as not to be a spoilsport.  

A highly respected folk band who have always loved the collision of organic with electronic, or better said, the traditional with the modern, Harp & a Monkey have made a masterpiece here. A very nice gatefold digipak with a peppered moth (2nd incarnation) decorates the front cover (this has significant meaning as the story is explained inside, and represents what the band stands for most assuredly), coming with booklet and info. A special deluxe edition is available in with added art, badge, and goodies. An outstanding release with plenty of room to enjoy over and over, perhaps the message in the end is a recording of proof that music from the past is vibrant and as much a part of our lives now as it was over history. RECOMMENDED.
   
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 12 - 14 - 2019
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A  magazine focused on inventive, progressive, and creative music in any genre that stands out from the rest
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ACQUA FRAGILE
Moving Fragments
(2023 - Maracash - Italy)


https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/moving-fragments


  A group who have the uncanny talent of keeping their classic  sound along with staying up tpo date. This amazing return is from 1970's Italian progressive rock outfit, with frontier man lead vocal Bernardo Lanzetti, who made this band and some PFM albums so specifically brilliant. At this decade, to expect more beauty would be a fantasy, yet it is set before your ears, even with the first notes, this masterpiece of Italian, (and not only Italian) progressive rock that certainly grasps the notion of what the genre of "progressive" was always meant to be. ACQUA FRAGILE create another sweetly classic knockout recording, not with even a heavy breath of past to present effort.  In fact, it sounds and feels more authentic than ever.  Bernardo sounds as if he never aged a week, and all muscians present are at full force, not passing up the chance to make another massively classic album.   An album to put Acqua Fragile at the top of the few chosen progressive rock choices of all time. The first song ('Her Shadlows Torture' 05:52 - editors note:  A misspell on the 'Shadows' which is on Bandcamp at this writing - but is correct as 'Her Shadow's Torture' on physical CD)  hug you and give all relief, as to any possible doubts of a long awaited fourth album by this top notch Italian band. I claim it will leave your heart lay bleeding. Grab the spectral energy and enjoy a glimpse of beautiful cocoon birth.

  Not one song is with sacrifice, even a wink of lamb. In fact, some elements are added to further enchance and stun the audience, such as inclusive female vocals by Rossella Volta. The bulk of the outfit is Piero Canavera (drums, percussion, vocals),  Franz Dondi (bass), Bernardo Lanzetti (lead vocals, guitar, Glovox),  Stefano Pantaleoni (keyboards),  Claudio Tuma (guitars), with special aid by (aforementioned vocalist Rosella Voita) ,  Gigi Cavalli Cocchi - drums (1,6),  Sergio Ponti - drums (4,9), Stef Burns- guitar (2),  Brian Belloni - guitar (4),  Davide Piombino - 7 string guitar (5),  and David Jackson - sax & flute (6). Could you ask for more?   After one listen you cannot want more. Thank Maracash label (Italy) for standing behind so many great Italian artists who have done the blood, sweat, and tears in earlier years, and deserve the attention now.
Although the band name translates to 'Fragile Water', it might be better described as Precious Water at this point and time in our decreasingly cared for world. Perhaps even better, Rare Water. The beauty of this entire recording is apparent, true, sincere, and a step forward. Better than one would dream of, past the point of how all old fans could imagine, and  actually done in the upper atmospheres of what anyone could have dreamed of. Everyone is top notch and most of all, Lanzetti is 100% present, making it another masterpiece.  It is my deep recommendartion for all fans of both classic progressive rock and the new fields of progressive music to give this a direct and full attention (no distractions) listen. RECOMMENDED.
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 19 - 2024


 

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