The Sun Is New Each Day

Armonite

Independent release, 2015

http://www.armonite.com

REVIEW BY: Vish Iyer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/13/2015

Armonite is a rather intimidating outfit, no matter how one looks at it. Firstly, it is the strange band dynamic of having the violin take place of a lead vocalist, in the “all instrumental” musical format of this band. Then there is the “prog” aspect, which adds another layer of weirdness: some crazy concoction of violin-based progressive rock music? Seriously?

However, surprisingly, there is nothing scary about this collective’s debut The Sun Is New Each Day. The band does a fantastic job pulling off the unusual combination of violin-driven compositions set in progressive rock song framework; and it does so effortlessly, in an album that is pretty accessible and fascinating to listen to.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Primarily a project of composer/keyboardist Paolo Fosso and violinist Jacopo Bigi – both based in Italy – Armonite is a prog rock band in every sense, with a phenomenal rhythm section comprised of Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin and Dutch drummer Jasper Barendregt. Together, these four musicians bring a wealth of talent to this project that is clearly evident in their music, in which every individual contributor has a distinct musical voice, and plays as important a role as the other in making a song what it is.

The Sun… is a somewhat short album, with the longest song clocking at a mere 3:47. This is one of the reasons why an all-instrumental album like this is actually more accessible than one might expect. At the same time however, one should not mistake this as a lesser prog rock album either. Although the song lengths on this record might seem a bit brief in the prog rock world, the musical ideas, nevertheless, are complex and intricate, and are executed masterfully by these fine musicians.

The prog rock aspect of The Sun…is undeniable, but this album has got a lot of interesting facets as well. Tracks like “Suitcase War” and “Sandstorm” have an ethnic/fusion flavor, whereas “Connect Four,” “Slippery Slope,” and “Le Temps Qui Fait Ta Rose” have a kind of Medieval European essence. “Die Grauen Herren” has a jazz influence; and “‘G’ As In Gears,” “Insert Coin,” and “Bastian’s Happy Flight” are more experimental, encompassing electronic elements; with “‘G’ As In Gears” playfully featuring an excerpt from Samuel Gompers’ famous speech, “What Does the Working Man Want?”

The Sun…is a very unique rock album. For the kind of musically intense and complicated album that it is, The Sun…does not sound even a bit heavy. For any rock music fan that is looking for a diversion from the usual, this album will not disappoint. Moreso, since the band is offering the album free on its website, this is a very very sweet deal!

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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