Maston - Souvenir [CD]

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: CALICO003CD
Barcode: 0810874024848
Release Date: 10 Sep 2021
Genre: Alternative

Maston's earlier works 'Shadows' (2013) and 'Tulips (2017) have garnered comparisons to some of the most acclaimed composers, including Ennio Morricone, Sven Libaek, & Piero Umiliani., and were released on KPM and Be With Records. He has also collaborated and toured with artists such as Allah Las, PAINT, and Altin Gün. To fulfil his vision for a lively, full-band effort on ‘Souvenir’, Maston enlisted a young quintet from Geneva in Switzerland: L’éclair. L’éclair’s first two albums, Polymood and Sauropoda, garnered high praise in Europe’s underground circles for its air tight grooves and their wise-beyond-their-years chops.
Album standout “Ghost” is a classic prog-pop stomp, built around a pulsing rhythm section, bouncy organ, and Maston’s lilting vocals. He invites you to take another dose and disappear: “Your chance ain’t comin’ around again for a million years” he sings, and we believe him. On the ballad “Do You Feel It Working” Frank repeats the title, which serves as a personal mantra. As this meditation slowly builds, we see L’Eclair shine as they strike a perfect balance - complimenting Maston’s vocals, while holding down the groove and bubbling up at just the right moments. “Swiss Franc” is a slow motion dark disco dirge, oozing uneasy harpsichord until the clouds part for the euphoric chorus -- only to slide back down in time for the bass synth to drop. It’s a pensive closer to a dynamic and colourful record, covering a lot of ground stylistically while staying focused sonically.
On ‘Souvenir’, spontaneity leads the way. You have to respect a musician willing to leave his comfort zone and try something new. The result is an album as unpredictable as it is flawlessly executed, a delightful and deliriously joyous new project born from an ambitious idea, pursued to perfection.

Tracklisting
1. L'Eau Bleue
2. Les Monstres
3. Do You Feel It Working?
4. Souvenir
5. Ghost
6. Café Collonge
7. The Doors Are Opening
8. Swiss Franc

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