MYTHOPOEIC MIND: Mythopoetry (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If Mythopoeic Mind is a newcomer to the progressive sphere, its progenitor is not. Indeed, Steinar Børve is already known as co-leader of the Norwegian group Panzerpappa, which he helped to create in 1997 and whose last production, "Prestrottedans", dates from 2016. For "Mythopoetry", Steinar Børve surrounds himself with all the members of Panzerpappa and some musicians from Gentle Knife and Pymlico, two other Norwegian bands.

Panzerpappa's albums, entirely instrumental, practice music at the crossroads of a not too aggressive RIO, jazz-rock and Canterbury. Even if its workforce is the same, Mythopoeic Mind is far from similar. On the one hand, the group has a titular singer in the person of Kjetil Laumann whose nasal tone is most often expressed with a sympathetic nonchalance. Then the RIO and jazz-rock aspects were erased to give way to a music strongly imbued with Canterbury, this rock at the same time unbridled and melodic which practices in high doses distancing and self-derision.

As a result, the compositions often have that offbeat, relaxed and dynamic character that we found on Hatfield And The North and Caravan albums. 'Prey' and 'Train of Mind' are perfect examples, songs with a same aura of calm and sympathy. Each of them precedes the two longer tracks of the album, very different from each other.

The first of these two mini-epics, 'Mount Doom', is certainly the track that most closely resembles Panzerpappa's albums. The only instrumental of "Mythopoetry", it begins with an angular and dark King Crimson-like intro that the rest of the song will deny. The different themes that will then follow one another without much transition effort will instead unfold their melodious loops of keyboards and intertwined guitars. In the opposite, 'Sailors Disgrace' gives pride of place to singing, which leaves only short spaces for instruments, even if they are more than just figuration behind the vocals, and takes care of its transitions with a beautiful fluidity. If the waves of the Hammond organ at the beginning evoke Van der Graaf Generator, the synthesizer break is more like ELP, but we also meet King Crimson and Caravan on the way, all living together in perfect harmony in a very beautiful title.

Starting with a sunrise ('Prologue Song') and ending with a twilight note ('Epilogue Song'), "Mythopoetry" is a real regressive pleasure to enjoy without moderation. - Official website

MYTHOPOEIC MIND

MYTHOPOETRY

APOLLON RECORDS

PROGRESSIVE ROCK