Detailed Reviews [JPL - 2020 - "Sapiens Chapitre 1/3: Exordium"]

Prolusion. French composer and musician Jean Pierre Louveton is a veteran in the French progressive rock scene, with a decades long tenure in progressive rock band Nemo and a solo career that has been ongoing for just about as long as his career as a band member. Using the moniker JPL, Louveton started to release solo albums back in 2002, and is quickly closing in on having a full dozen solo albums to his name. The album "Sapiens Chapter 1/3: Exordium" dates back to 2020, and was released through the French label Quadrifonic.

Analysis. Quite a few words can be used in order to try to describe the music of JPL on this album, but some of the most important ones will probably be expressive and creative. In terms of defining the material, inclusive and eclectic are probably merited, and the album as a whole doesn't readily fit into any of the popular subsets of the genre. That the album experience as a whole is an impressive one probably merits a mention early on too. We have compositions here that hone in on more atmospheric laden landscapes with a symphonic as well as a neo-progressive intent and orientation, with both elegant and vibrant escapades into jazzrock territories with and without a harder edge as a natural companion. Tight, hard and loose sections of progressive rock with orchestral textures added as backing or flavoring is a recurring feature throughout, and those with a taste for tangents with a bit more of a folk music orientation will find some appealing landscapes to explore too. And if tones and timbres with a little bit of an exotic touch is something you enjoy, 'Homo Sapiens' kind of comes across as a distant, orchestral tinged cousin of Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir'. More important than the various incarnations of the style progressive rock and borderline progressive metal we encounter here is the fact that this is a fun and rewarding album experience, and that this is a production that comes with a free and playful spirit. One gets the impression that Louveton played around with an ideal of making the music as engaging to create as it is to listen to, and that this has been the goal of this production. To make the music interesting to make, interesting to perform and interesting to listen to. A high quality mix and production gives the album the finish it merits and deserves, to the benefit of the creator and the listeners alike.

Conclusion. "Sapiens Chapter 1/3: Exordium" is a solid production on just about all measurable levels, containing engaging material, compositions that are instrumental as well as with vocals, and songs that include assets and details from a number of different traditions within the progressive rock universe. A playful, vibrant and creative production, and one without any weak points beyond what personal taste dictates, with only a hard to remember album title as a possible very minor flaw. An easy to recommend album for people with a general interest in well made progressive rock, and a production with qualities that may make it one of those albums that will grow in stature over time too.

Progmessor: July 2022
The Rating Room