As a music lover, you always have your reasons to like something or not. Since I am clearly a fan of prog rock and therefore write for this website, there are a number of characteristics of music that are important to me. For example, I like longer songs so that there is a good balance between instrumental pieces and vocal pieces. I also like to hear full and present keyboards, nice guitar solos and tempo changes. Nothing special so far because this probably applies to all visitors of this site. I am also not averse to some unusual time signatures and adventurous musical trips. What if all this comes along in the music of the Polish band The Adekaem who present their sixth album with Pictures From Sierra Morena. The two big men behind this project are Andrzej Bielas (keyboards) and Krzysztof Wala (guitars), at least in terms of music. The lyrics are written by Jakub Bason who also plays some flute. Yet there are more musicians involved, namely Daniel Kurtyka (vocals), Michal Wala (bass) and Pawel Wietrzynski (drums) so we do hear a real band. The music we hear on this album is pure prog rock and, as mentioned, meets all the above criteria. There are five songs on the album and they all have a respectable length of 6.20 min to 12.48 min, so that's promising. That promise certainly comes true, but there are also some things that temper my enthusiasm a bit. Often that is the vocals and that is also the case here. There is a reasonable amount of vocal parts and when that's the case it all sounds a bit flat, yet it does add something and that is why I am happy that there are vocals. Lyrics always add something to music. Because there are only five tracks on the album, I will go through them one by one. We start right away with the longest song and that is the title track of the album. It starts wonderfully with a beautiful melody and alternating leading roles for keyboards and guitar, but after more than two minutes we hear a narrator with a pretty heavy accent. A quiet piece with supporting keys and plucking guitar then leads to a percussive part after which the vocals come in. As said, they are not spectacular but not bad either. Wala is allowed to solo for a long time and does so in a style that resembles Steve Hackett, not quite of that order but very pleasant to hear. The narrator makes a final contribution and tells a fairytale story. Very nice song without too much bombast, very relaxed and before you know it it's over, always a good sign. The Sea starts pastorally with long, slow keyboard sounds and after more than two minutes a frivolous guitar turns into a more serious solo. When the vocals come in, the tempo also goes up a bit. Here it is noticeable that the vocal lines sometimes wring a bit with the music. This music could have been made in the early 80s. Wala solos again and I miss some sharpness there, he is a bit behind in terms of pace. You hear that often and you have to love it, or not. The swirling keys of Bielas conclude this song appropriately. Wrath opens with Wala and soon the vocals join in and the tempo goes up again but without it becoming intense. It is a bit spicier song, it rocks more and I think I hear a saxophone out of the trick box but I am not sure if that is the case. A minute-long solo by Wala, which is much more appealing, leads us back to the heightened rhythm of the beginning. All requirements met, sounds fine and yet.... With over twelve minutes, Lady Of The Glade is the second really long track and the beginning certainly sounds like early Genesis with acoustic guitar and a vocal part that is quite good. This comparison with the mentioned greats of yesteryear actually holds up. The acoustic guitar keeps a leading role for a long time, but of course it ends with a guitar solo on the electric version. It all remains very calm and controlled. By The Barrow is the shortest song and it doesn't happen very often that prog bands end an album with it. To be honest, boredom strikes a bit because it's quite a lot of the same. The tempo, the atmosphere and the sound of the instruments, there is not much variation. Of course, that means that Pictures From Sierra Morena is a very consistent album. Actually, The Adekaem does everything right, everything is in it, well, everything but excitement. A little more risk could be taken and the dynamics could be a lot greater. Still, this is a very nice listening album if you take the somewhat wobbly vocals into the bargain. *** Erik Fraanje (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
