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░ ██ ██ Artist: Ciccada ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Finest of Miracles █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-06-28 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Fading Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ It's been five years since Greece's Ciccada █
█ released their highly acclaimed debut album, A █
█ Child in the Mirror on AltrOck Records. Now they █
█ are back with an album that displays the █
█ maturation process the band has undergone in both █
█ recording and compositional technique. The songs █
█ of The Finest of Miracles show improved mastery of █
█ the band's proclivity for weaving sophisticated █
█ instrumental structures using their multiplicity █
█ of ancient and traditional folk instruments █
█ integrated with modern electrified instruments. █
█ They have also refined their symphonic █
█ sensibilities, as is displayed in the long-playing █
█ masterpieces, "Around the Fire" and the 18-minute █
█ long "The Finest of Miracles Suite." They are also █
█ much more evenly paced, eliminating the occasional █
█ tendency they had previously to over-do or flood █
█ passages with too much information. █
█ 1. "A Night Ride" (6:26) is an instrumental █
█ putting on immediate display the fact of the █
█ band's maturation as well as its further █
█ commitment to both rock music and symphonic song █
█ structures. Also on display is the █
█ multi-instrumental virtuosity of leader Nicolas █
█ Nikolopoulos who is credited with flute, tenor █
█ sax, Mellotron, synthesizers, electric and grand █
█ pianos, organ, and glockenspiel. The contributions █
█ of guest musician Lydia Boudouni on violin are █
█ also quite significant. Nice opener. (8/10) But, █
█ we're all waiting for the complete ensemble--and █
█ especially the contributions of vocalist █
█ extraordinaire, Evangelina Kozoni. The next song █
█ does not take long to satisfy. █
█ █
█ 2. "Eternal" (8:02) starts out sounding very much █
█ like A Child in the Mirror's "A Garden of █
█ Delights"--though a bit more spacious. By the █
█ middle of the song the band has started mixing █
█ things up enough and by the end of the sixth █
█ minute they have finally broken away from its █
█ predecessor: organ, acoustic guitars, flutes, █
█ Mellotron and violins. In retrospect, it feels as █
█ if it is really Evangelina's vocal melody that █
█ keeps bringing me back to "Earthly Delights," not █
█ so much the instrumental music. Still, a great █
█ song. Great sound. (8/10) █
█ █
█ 3. "At the Death of Winter" (4:04) starts out with █
█ flute, synths, Mellotron and marimba setting █
█ things up for Evangelina's storytelling vocal. The █
█ song is impressionistic: jazzy, folkie, kind of █
█ childlike and pleasant. At times it even treads █
█ into GENTLE GIANT territory--especially with the █
█ jazzy section beginning in the third and the rondo █
█ weave of male vocals accompanying Evangelina which █
█ soon follows during the fourth minute. Surprising █
█ and beautiful song! (9/10) █
█ █
█ 4. "Around the Fire" (9:16) is a true symphonic █
█ construction with no single section lasting more █
█ than 45 seconds and never less than 30. It opens █
█ with two wooden flutes playing together for the █
█ first 30 seconds. Multiple tracks of acoustic █
█ guitars fill the next 30 seconds before an all-out █
█ acoustic JETHRO TULL instrumental weave bursts █
█ out. This is then joined by organ and Evangelina's █
█ vocal. Next there is a brief instrumental of █
█ medieval instruments before the music returns to █
█ the JTULL theme with electric guitar and flute █
█ flashing in and out in an enthusiastic dance. Next █
█ Evangelina returns with the organ before the song █
█ quiets down to the medieval instrument section █
█ this time with Evangelina's voice. It sounds like █
█ a 1960s folk songs with its strummed acoustic █
█ guitars and background vocal harmonies. Gorgeous! █
█ At the five minute mark we get to hear two █
█ electric guitar soli before the song devolves into █
█ a rapidly strumming acoustic guitar. Then, at 6:30 █
█ we get to hear some impassioned JTULL flute and █
█ guitar soli, building into a heavier JTULL █
█ crescendo before returning tho the 60s folk █
█ section with the addition of Mellotron and █
█ GENESIS-like guitars to exit. Amazing song! █
█ (10/10) █
█ █
█ 5. "Lemnos (Lover Dancer)" 0:47) is a song in the █
█ true medieval folk minstrel tradition. Plus horns! █
█ (10/10) █
█ █
█ THE FINEST OF MIRACLES SUITE: █
█ █
█ 6. "Birth of the Lights" (1:52) opens surprisingly █
█ heavily, with and odd time signature, before █
█ evolving into a softer and lighter "sunshine and █
█ unicorns" mood. (9/10) █
█ █
█ 7. "Wandering" (6:42) opens sounding a lot like █
█ very early GENESIS. Sax with background violin and █
█ piano are interspersed with the "mischievous" █
█ "interruptions" of flute A weave of multiple █
█ synths ensues before the song returns to the sax █
█ and violin weave, this time interlaced with █
█ slightly heavier sections?one of which has some █
█ raunchy jazz guitars. The song always comes back █
█ to either the sax and violin theme and/or the █
█ flutes over acoustic guitars for its grounding. █
█ This is very much a soundtrack for a film--like an █
█ old silent film soundtrack--one in which five or █
█ six very distinct personalities are interacting █
█ and/or conversing. (9/10) █
█ █
█ 8. "Sirens Call" (1:38) starts with simple █
█ acoustic guitar arpeggios joined by flute and then █
█ double bass and Rhodes piano. Violin and flute █
█ trade soli throughout. (9/10) █
█ █
█ 9. "As Fall the Leaves" (3:09) is a medieval folk █
█ ensemble set up for Evangelina to sing in her █
█ native Greek. Very RENAISSANCE like. (10/10) █
█ █
█ 10. "Song for an Island" (4:47) sees the suite █
█ step into the electronic era with trumpets and █
█ Mike Oldfield-like lead guitar with Evangelina █
█ continuing singing in Greek. The music has the █
█ feel of an early bluesy JETHRO TULL or GENESIS █
█ song. Horns join in at 1:10, adding something █
█ special before the song returns to the opening █
█ vocal section. In the fourth minute it takes a █
█ turn into new territory--a kind of "MacArthur █
█ Park" sound and structure. At 4:30 a circus-like █
█ element is introduced--which carries us through to █
█ the end! (9/10) █
█ █
█ Amazing composition pulled off with such skill and █
█ maturity! Awesome! This album has an amazing 1970s █
█ feel to it in the way it is composed and █
█ performed; such mastery and maturity is rare in █
█ this day and age. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. A Night Ride 6:26 ░
░ 2. Eternal 8:01 ░
░ 3. At the Death of Winter 4:04 ░
░ 4. Around the Fire 9:16 ░
░ 5. Lemnos (Lover's Dance) 0:47 ░
░ 6. Birth of the Lights 1:52 ░
░ 7. Wandering 6:43 ░
░ 8. Sirens` Call 1:38 ░
░ 9. As Fall the Leaves 3:09 ░
░ 10. Song for an Island 4:48 ░
░ 46:44 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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