Detailed Reviews [Fabrice Bony - 2013 - "Inner Lands"]

Prolusion. French composer and musician Fabrice BONY has been an active musician for more than 20 years, mostly active as a band member and music teacher, if I have understood matters correctly. He made his debut as a solo artist with the album "Between Day" in 2008. Five years later Bony returns with his second production "Inner Lands", and like with his first CD he has chosen to release this album himself.

Analysis. If there is one general characteristic I should choose for this album, then it is careful and controlled. This is music that appears to have been made with a conscious decision to avoid any major dramatic effects, and while not as introspective in nature as the title of the disc might lead you to believe I assume that this album is indeed a result of the creator visiting and exploring his very own and personal Inner Lands. As such this isn't a production that appears to have been made with any conscious decision regarding what kind of music that should be explored either; as I experience these compositions this is first and foremost an album about moods and atmosphere, where the styles explored as such are more or less incidental. Opening track Weird and the following Isle of Shadows both unfold into creations with something of a jazz-rock vibe to them, with funky guitar details and nonverbal vocals as some key elements of the former and with a distinct bass guitar foundation, dream-laden guitar soloing, nonverbal vocal details and Mellotron details as defining traits of the latter, and the piece also develops into a more intense and subtly twisted affair towards the end. Premonition is arguably best described as a cosmic oriented mood piece, while From Heart to Sky is an elegant run through melody based themes that incorporate world music inspired details and cosmic touches to an arguably somewhat more nondescript style. Epic length composition Native Land continues incorporating world music inspired details, now within a more distinct jazz-rock inspired context as the composition unfolds. The second half of this CD continues exploring similar territories, with a cosmic oriented excursion, a guitar dominated track that isn't light years away from some of Satriani's earlier, mood-oriented material in expression, a melody and harmony based construction that shies away from any distinct stylistic expression, with Parade as the second to last song we're treated to a few instances of effects of a dramatic nature incorporated into this loosely jazz-rock-oriented excursion, while LOVE Hello Vie ends the disc in a positive, anthemic and again jazz-rock oriented style. While there are a number of details throughout that indicated a composer and musician aware of and probably with something of a taste for jazz-rock, none of the songs here can be described as purebred creations of that kind however. Some contain a number of details with a foundation in that style, but not to the extent that merits describing this album as residing within this particular context. It has a strong orientation towards it however, so a certain taste for jazz-rock is probably needed to be able to enjoy this disc.

Conclusion. Careful and controlled melody based music is what Fabric Bony presents and explores on his second full length album "Inner Lands". A taste for jazz-rock oriented details will be helpful to be able to appreciate the songs on the disc, as will a certain affection for the use of cosmic sounds. First and foremost my impression is that this is an album about moods and atmospheres rather than styles as such however, this fairly harmonic and elegant journey into a not easily defined corner of the progressive rock universe. A trek into Inner Lands, and an engaging one at that if you like your progressive rock to be melodic, harmonic and mostly instrumental.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: May 14, 2014
The Rating Room