CD Review: Lunatic Soul - Impressions

Written by Petra Whiteley Wednesday, 12 October 2011 14:00

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Artist: Lunatic Soul
Title: Impressions
Genre: Progressive / Instrumental
Release Date: 10th October 2011
Label: kScope Music

Album Review

MARIUSZ DUDA, a singer and a bassist from RIVERSIDE, which is a post-progressive Rock/Metal band from Poland that gained recognition with their ‘Reality Dream’ trilogy albums, alongside which they released other LPs, and accompanied DREAM THEATER on the tour as their opening act. DUDA has also been involved with his solo project LUNATIC SOUL; under this title he’s created two albums (‘Black’ and ‘White’), which take the listener on a journey that is in his words “an oriental-trans-psychedelic-verbal-musical journey through the pitch darkness available to those who have... a lunatic soul.” Many of the ‘Impressions’ came to life during composing material for those two albums.

In DUDA’s own words this album is “a collection of instrumental compositions, which act as an addition to the story told on the black and white Lunatic Soul albums. These songs without lyrics, with scarce vocal parts are more ambient in style, resembling a soundtrack to a film or a video game.” The album is rich in instrumentation counting glockenspiel, ukulele, guzheng, piano, strings, and so on. That it is visual and could easily be a soundtrack to a movie comes evident very soon, though having only ever played very few video games (no, I’m not a dinosaur or technophobe, just chronically short of time) I could hardly be a judge if the last part of his remark holds true for the video games, I can only assume so. And as for it complementing the first two albums, it does feel right.

And though the eight songs are instrumentals you will hear a vocal here and there, starting with the opening ‘Impression’. DUDA’s vocal and its texture is great, it folds into the song and enriches its own texture in turn wonderfully. Soon it peters in and out, echoing with higher and lower notes, which gives the whole even more ambiance, another part of my enjoyment were the percussions. The piano start of the second ‘Impression’ brings a strong feeling, akin to a fragile beauty of sadness mixed equally with joy, wistfulness, longing... And although the whole is very relaxing there are enough elements like this that give the whole more of a narration - feel of a story it has to tell, and adds many layers the music so as it fits more than just one mood.

Third ‘Impression’ unfolds with some great evocative musical effects, one has a feeling of being in a cave like place near sea, the guitar soon starts or let’s just say takes centre stage from the previous piano and brings in as much expressiveness and intensity to the quieter background of this song. ‘Impression IV’ is quite an energetic with the vocal coming back in. Each ‘Impression’ merits attention and appreciation - wouldn’t it be a bit of a spoiler to go in detail through them all? So I will only mention now the two remixes at the end. ‘Gravestone Hill’ had this beautiful wave-like melancholy, but ‘Summerland’ was a richer song and thus my favourite of the two. I think though they’re more of a curiosity addition, even if they don’t jar the key ‘Impression I - VIII’ part, I’d listen to them separately to savour the main part all the better several times, and then get to them.

It was a great idea to go back to the recording studio with this material for sure; it’s probably my favourite from the trilogy. ‘Impressions’ is rich, layered, evocative music with a lot attention paid to detail but effortlessly and smoothly so, skilful as expected, and a truly beautiful release with a lot to enjoy, mule over, reflect and be enriched by and a sure recommend.


Tracklist

01. Impression I – 5.28
02. Impression II – 4.04
03. Impression III – 7.02
04. Impression IV – 3.57
05. Impression V – 5.01
06. Impression VI – 7.33
07. Impression VII – 3.13
08. Impression VIII – 3.51
09. Gravestone Hill (remix) – 3.51
10. Summerland (remix) – 4.26


Line-up

Mariusz Duda – Vocals, glockenspiel, acoustic guitar, fender jazz bass, keyboards, percussion, ukulele
Wawrzyniec Dramowicz – Drums
Maciej Szelenbaum – Piano, flute, quzheng, strings


Websites

http://www.lunaticsoul.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/lunaticsoulband


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 10
Total: 9.5 / 10