Good (three stars out of five)
Mariusz Duda is quickly becoming a name that anyone in the progressive world can recognize. After a number of very popular albums with Riverside, Duda quickly shot to the top of many "favorite vocalists" lists. Given this, it's the perfect time for Lunatic Soul--the sideproject of Duda--to emerge. In all, it's a good album that will most certainly appeal to fans of Riverside's slower songs, even if the quality of the music doesn't always match that of Riverside's.
Musically, this is an album where the instrumentation is most certainly not the focus. In fact, it's hard to call this album particularly progressive, and it is most certainly not the rock/metal mix that Riverside provides. Acoustic guitars, simple percussion, synth, and bass drive most of the songs on here, with some less-common instruments appearing occasionally, such as the flute's appearance in a couple of places, and even the harmonica. There is plenty of electric bass as well, sometimes distorted, but distortion in any form is actually quite rare. The bass is probably the album that instrument gurus will want to focus on. Still, this is a very subdued experience musically, and it carries a simplicity that, in many cases, causes the instrumentation to fall into the back of the listener's consciousness. Songs like "Out on a Limb" break this trend by offering some compelling percussion work and distorted bass, but as a whole, this won't be an album that you appreciate for the instrumentation. In addition, after about the midpoint of the album, it's easy to begin to feel like the instrumentation is too repetitive, and that you've already heard everything that the album has to offer. The two instrumental tracks (three if you count the opening track, which doesn't contain much in the way of singing) are similarly focused on atmosphere rather than any semblance of instrumental flashiness.
Lyrics and vocals are the definite focus of this album, and listeners will likely enjoy these things more than any other on the album. Fans of Riverside will know what to expect out of Duda's performance, though his doesn't necessarily display the range that he does on Riverside's work. For example, Duda stays mostly within his soft singing style here, only venturing out of that and approaching his sporadic screaming on one track, and only briefly on the title track. So while the album isn't a showcase of Duda's range, it does show his ability to create an intimate atmosphere with his vocals, evidenced greatly by the backing harmonies that he uses to really draw out the atmosphere of a track. As for the lyrics, I'm not sure that I'd call this a concept album exactly, but it does seem to have a theme of death, loss, and lunacy (it is called Lunatic Soul, after all). The strength of the lyrics themselves are quite good, lacking any cliched or predictable lines.
In short, this album is well-worth a listen for those looking for a darker, atmospheric piece of music with solid performances all around. It might not be an album that quickly shoots to the top of your best of 2008 list, but when you're in the mood for some softer instrumentation, or even some background music, Lunatic Soul will give it to you.
Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com
Musically, this is an album where the instrumentation is most certainly not the focus. In fact, it's hard to call this album particularly progressive, and it is most certainly not the rock/metal mix that Riverside provides. Acoustic guitars, simple percussion, synth, and bass drive most of the songs on here, with some less-common instruments appearing occasionally, such as the flute's appearance in a couple of places, and even the harmonica. There is plenty of electric bass as well, sometimes distorted, but distortion in any form is actually quite rare. The bass is probably the album that instrument gurus will want to focus on. Still, this is a very subdued experience musically, and it carries a simplicity that, in many cases, causes the instrumentation to fall into the back of the listener's consciousness. Songs like "Out on a Limb" break this trend by offering some compelling percussion work and distorted bass, but as a whole, this won't be an album that you appreciate for the instrumentation. In addition, after about the midpoint of the album, it's easy to begin to feel like the instrumentation is too repetitive, and that you've already heard everything that the album has to offer. The two instrumental tracks (three if you count the opening track, which doesn't contain much in the way of singing) are similarly focused on atmosphere rather than any semblance of instrumental flashiness.
Lyrics and vocals are the definite focus of this album, and listeners will likely enjoy these things more than any other on the album. Fans of Riverside will know what to expect out of Duda's performance, though his doesn't necessarily display the range that he does on Riverside's work. For example, Duda stays mostly within his soft singing style here, only venturing out of that and approaching his sporadic screaming on one track, and only briefly on the title track. So while the album isn't a showcase of Duda's range, it does show his ability to create an intimate atmosphere with his vocals, evidenced greatly by the backing harmonies that he uses to really draw out the atmosphere of a track. As for the lyrics, I'm not sure that I'd call this a concept album exactly, but it does seem to have a theme of death, loss, and lunacy (it is called Lunatic Soul, after all). The strength of the lyrics themselves are quite good, lacking any cliched or predictable lines.
In short, this album is well-worth a listen for those looking for a darker, atmospheric piece of music with solid performances all around. It might not be an album that quickly shoots to the top of your best of 2008 list, but when you're in the mood for some softer instrumentation, or even some background music, Lunatic Soul will give it to you.
Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com
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