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"Rikard Sjöblom's fusion is still at work on "Alone Together", a record bursting with richness, ardor and melodies."
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4/5
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The spirit of Rikard Sjöblom is constantly bubbling. Two years after his fourth album "Friendship", Gungfly is back with "Alone Together". The ardor, the retro side, and above all the great richness of the music of our Swedish strongman are obviously present again, throughout the six tracks of the album.
On the line-up side, the band concentrates around a power trio. Long-time companions, brothers Rasmus and Petter Diamant, respectively on bass and drums, support the leader on this record whose central theme reminds us of the drifting of certain social networks putting forward an erroneous image of people's lives. Moreover, if you are interested in this subject, we can only encourage you to check out the interview of our friend Rikard on Music Waves!
The Swede's creativity has always been fearsome, whether with Beardfish or Gungfly. And for good reason, Sjöblom always manages to present long developments full of twists and turns and excels in the balance of styles. Once again, this new album presents itself with a perfect balance. The first single, 'Happy Somewhere In Between', takes the multi-instrumentalist's unbridled 70's influences and is full of color and dynamism. Since we were talking about balance, the opposite counterpart of this track surely lies in the interlude 'From Afar', a minimalist acoustic title, showing the extent of the musician's artistic palette.
But Gungfly likes also long and complex pieces. "Alone Together" is not an isolated case in this matter since half of the titles range between 9 and 14 minutes! The eponymous track is moreover a mishmash of styles, approaches and sounds. The intro and the outro are surely one of the highlights of the album and are reminiscent of Beardfish's 'Comfort Zone' by their very melodic and melancholic side. But as our friend never rests on his laurels, he doesn't hesitate to come back with powerful metal verses, carried by a few growls in the background, adding an extra soul to the whole.
The last track, 'On The Shoulders Of Giants' is certainly the album's flagship track, with its 14 minutes that you can't see passing by. If the beginning of the title begins as a relatively standard approach in its structure according to Gungfly's criteria, it takes its full scope from a few minutes onwards, as soon as Rikard Sjöblom puts his voice on his piano, before rising in intensity little by little towards a high-flying end.
A little less accessible and perhaps less immediate than its predecessors due to the complexity of its structures, "Alone Together" is a record that, as is often the case with Gungfly, is tamed little by little, over the course of listening, the time to assimilate all its richness and integrate all its subtleties. But once again, the listener's patience will surely be rewarded. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Traveler - 13:04 02. Happy Somewhere In Between - 6:19 03. Clean as a Whistle - 6:24 04. Alone Together - 9:35 05. From Afar - 2:46 06. On the Shoulders of Giants - 14:50 07. Grove Thoughts - 3:25 08. Shoulder Variations - 5:23
LINEUP:
Petter Diamant: Batterie Rasmus Diamant: Basse Rikard Sjöblom: Chant / Guitares / Claviers
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH GUNGFLY
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LAST INTERVIEW
GUNGFLY (SEPTEMBER 2020)
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The hyperactive Rikard Sjöblom never stops! One year after our interview at the Crescendo festival, the Swedish musician gave us an appointment to talk about the release of his new album, "Alone Together".
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT GUNGFLY
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