SHALASH BAND – Kabyokh
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I remember with fondness the incredibly colourful artwork of Shalash Band’s debut album Shalash. It looked as if some kindergarteners had been let loose with pots of fingerpaint, and the music actually fitted. Instead of doom and gloom, the Russian duo played a strange yet friendly and occasionally tongue-in-cheek kind of instrumental prog that reminded me more than once of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Since then, I always got back to the album, having listened to it countless times. Consider my surprise when I discovered that the guys had a new album out. My first impression of Kabyokh was a certain indecisiveness. Although it was still Shalash Band, it sounded like a whole band getting together. But no, it’s still Maxim Smirnov on drums and percussion, and Dmitry Karavaev on keyboards but this time also on wind controller, which is a midi-controlled wind instrument that lets the player choose all kinds of different sounds. So we get trumpet, trombone, saxophone… which all lead to a jazzier sound. Also the album is shorter than the debut, and also only contains six tracks, which are all quite long though. What I liked on the debut was the primeval attitude with which the band attacked its material. It all sounded basic, but also coming right from the heart. The songs on Kabyokh are more developed, and despite their length, they are still very focused. Often instrumental are somewhat boring because they lack the talent to write music that works without vocals. In the case of Shalash Band, this is not the case. There is a very lyrical twist to the songs, as if they were telling a wordless story. The opener Trip To The Shalash for instance starts like a regular Shalash Band song from the past, before a few minutes into the song, they surprise with the wind controller, and the final two minutes are some of the craziest stuff I have ever heard. It’s funny, with a certain carnival atmosphere, not unlike some soundtracks of Nintendo video games. The following We See Them comes with heavy organ distortion and a generally higher pace. Lots if wind instruments have been layered to add a soulful yet rocking attitude. Kalinka also has a heavier sound, and it’s on such tracks where the drummer’s tight rhythmic playing shows that his contribution is also very important for the band’s sound. On The Trail Leads By Itself, we even get a great jazz inspired piano part that shows that Dmitry Karavaev is truly a master of all kinds of keyboards. If you are familiar with the Moscow based duo’s debut album, you might initially be a little puzzled by the added wind instruments on Kabyokh, but give it time, and it will grow to be an even superior effort. Too much progressive rock these days is following templates, but Shalash Band are just doing their very own thing, not caring about trends and fads. Another perfect and impeccable album from two guys who probably can do nothing wrong. Let’s hope that we won’t have to wait so long for the third album. |
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6 songs |
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39:00 minutes |
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***** ***** |
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Genre: instrumental progressive rock self-released |
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