TRACK LIST:
1. Impossible Meeting 2:31
2. Somewhere in My Dreams 5:06
3. The Tree 3:52
4. Inside Your Walls 9:36
5. I Hope 3:17
6. Garden 2:24
7. Another Place 7:37
8. The Shelter 6:53
9. The Other Side 5:20
10. Let Me Go 4:54
LINE UP :
Marco - guitars, keyboards, piano, programming
Clelia Lenoble - vocals
with:
Julien Perdereau - drums, bass
Juliette Carradec - violin
Sophie Clavier - backing vocals
Prolusion.
French band Edenya have been a feature in the French rock scene since 2010, and in 2017 the band released their initial mini-album "Edenya". Since then a further two studio albums have appeared. "Another Place" is the most recent of these, and was released at the start of 2023 through the label M&O Music.
Analysis.
While Edenya is a band that probably can be categorized in a few different manners, for my sake I find it natural to place them inside of a progressive rock context. While this isn't a band that seeks to tear down boundaries nor to create demanding landscapes with tons of challenging features, the manner in which they blend atmospheric elements with a handful of different style orientations will in itself give the material of the band a progressive intent as well as orientation.
Folk music influences is a key element throughout this production, with the vocal lines of singer Lenoble one of the main elements that adds that element to the landscapes explored. While we also get instrument motifs and details that add to the folk music aspect of it all, the vocals are arguably the main and most vital element for that dimension of the album.
The songs themselves tend to ebb back and forth between a few different orientations. Calmer passages alternating in form between acoustic rock and folk music are used in the majority of the compositions, often with orchestral oriented textures adding a graceful majesty to these landscapes. Some clear cut side turns into folk music landscapes are a part of the totality too, and on occasion we get more novel movements with, for instance, a light electronic flavoring applied to a folk music based foundation.
As the album unfolds we also get songs with more powerful and striking passages, where the electric guitar comes in and adds a hard rock as well as a metal drive to the proceedings, with as well as without folk music elements being a part of that totality. More often than not these are featured in compositions that ebb and flow quite a bit between gentler escapades, more vibrant sequences and the more powerful hard rock and metal flavored excursions.
This is a compelling journey for those with an interest in folk music elements applied to landscapes of a more meditative nature as well as used in parts of more harder hitting and powerful creations. Music that can be classified in a few different manners, and music that explore quite a few different settings too.
Conclusion.
"Another Place" is a production that use folk music elements in an interesting manner, with material ranging from atmospheric laden creations focusing on more dreamladen landscapes and all the way over to more powerful constructions that adds a distinct metal touch in between more careful applications of folk music and rock music elements. Those with an interest in a more atmospheric laden variety of folk music inspired progressive rock that also comes with a bit of a hard rock swagger and metal bite should find this album to be a satisfying experience.
Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room
