Postures

Postures

Written by: BV on 10/07/2013 22:04:36

Postures is a Swedish progressive rock project located in Gothenburg, the soundscape in which they reside can be characterized as an eerie blend of contemporary Steven Wilson influences as well as some slightly older references in the form of Genesis, Yes and, perhaps, King Crimson to some extent.

When I mention King Crimson as an influence, the most apparent similarity can be found in the album’s second track, “Heavy Tremor”, which contains the eclectic drum figures and the seemingly heavy – yet not heavy at all guitar riff that continues its hypnotizing assault on the senses while the, in this case, smooth vocal work functions as the access point upon the complicated rhythm-work. As is tradition in progressive rock nowadays, the track quickly morphs into something vastly different – an organ driven and soulful piece, only to once again return to the original form, completing the journey that every song should be, when it comes to progressive rock.

With “Falling Into Place” the listener is taken on a piano-driven, slightly melancholic journey into a soundscape where the soulful vocal work really comes into its own. The haunting, yet beautiful voice is, in itself, utterly fascinating and the low-key and minimalistic soundscape adds to the feeling of melancholy that nearly oozes off the track. As the climax is reached in the form of a decent guitar-solo, I can’t help but think that this track would have fared quite a lot better – had the guitar been left out, as it tended to dominate far too much and, well, it weren’t really that interesting on this particular track.

Nearing the end of the album we find the track “Clouded Sight”, an up-tempo rocker that seems quite out-of-place on this album – that is until this track also morphs into a vastly melancholic section before returning to the original form – an entertaining idea, had it not been for the monotony that seems to shine through that particular concept on this album. As I mentioned, many progressive albums contain tracks that morph from one entity to a completely different one and often it works quite well. On “Postures”, this doesn’t seem to be the case however as the form more often than not morphs from ‘fast and rock-like’ to ‘haunting and melancholic’ or in reverse. –Not really as progressive as it is predictable.

And so, as I near the end of this review I am contemplating my opinion and I have come to realize that, in spite of my love for progressive music, this album could have been a whole lot better and the ‘debut-effect’ seems to shine through quite a lot here as the album does not come off as the work of seasoned pros – rather it comes off as an experiment from a band that is still trying to find their personal sound.

Download: Heavy Tremor, Falling Into Place
For The Fans Of: King Crimson, Glorie, Steven Wilson
Listen: facebook.com

Release Date 22.05.2013
Self-released


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