Telescope Road - 2016 - Telescope Road

(44:24; Telescope Road)

Track list:
1. Crystal Revenge 8:01
2. Serpent 8:19
3. Gut Metal 5:08
4. Fireworks and January Skies 8:19
5. Moonfever 8:27
6. Eat Your Heart Out 6:10

Line-up:
Alain Chiarazzo - guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
William Kopecky - bass, vocals
David Lillkvist - drums, percussion, vibraphone, keyboards, backing vocals
with:
Sibongile Mbambo - vocals
Cleo - vocals
Nabankur Bhattacharya - tabla, vocals


Prolusion.
France based, multinational band Telescope Road has been an active unit since at least 2015, and from what I understand they made quite an impact when performing at the ProgSud festival in 2015 as well as at the Crescendo Festival the following year. In 2016 they also self-released their debut album "Telescope Road", with a CD edition of the album appearing in 2017. The band is, from what I understand, preparing material for a second album at the time of writing.

Analysis.
In terms of a broader placement inside a progressive music spectrum, this album is one that I think I'd place inside of a folk music context first and foremost, although a case could be made for this production being placed inside more of a jazz-oriented context too. Obviously with rock music as an element too, albeit in this case not as defining of a feature as the other directions mentioned.

The most defining trait of this album is the bass guitar sounds of William Kopecky. On all of the songs here he has opted to go for a very distinct bass guitar sound, one with a tone, timbre and expression that gives it a warm but also mournful feel, resulting in a sound I would describe as a crying bass guitar. I also note that the bass here has a tendency to provide motifs with something of a jazz-oriented feel to them, an element that occasionally is given emphasis by the guitars and drums too.

The guitar here will occasionally provide funky licks and even a little bit of metal in one song, but will otherwise stick to a gentler mode of delivery with a clean wandering guitar motif being the order of the day more often than not. Tones and timbres associated with various aspects of acoustic music ranging from singer/songwriter types of landscapes through to folk music in general and world music in particular is where the guitar is most active, and for the latter aspect in particular some of the vocal contributions further emphasize this aspect of the landscapes explored here. A little bit of a flirt with flamenco on a few occasions are duly noted too.

We also get some sequences that are closer to an atmospheric laden variety of progressive rock, and some parts here and there feature keyboards expanding the scope and depth of the arrangements in a neat and efficient manner. Elsewhere the song 'Serpent' does include some passages that in it's core foundation isn't all that different from the markedly different sounds of Haiku Funeral, another project Kopecky has been a part of for a number of years, and on the concluding 'Eat Your Heart Out' both Americana and blues elements are brought in for different kinds of pairings with world music and jazz-oriented elements for some rather different and unusual but also intriguing soundscapes.

With seasoned musicians being involved in this project, it isn't a surprise that the end result here is enhanced by an excellent mix and production. The compositions can at times feature quite a few subtle details, and the studio work done ensures that also the more subtle and careful details and nuances are given the space and room needed to enhance and enrich the songs they are a part of.

Conclusion.
With Telescope Road, we get a band that has a slightly different take on the folk and jazzrock oriented aspect of progressive rock, with the blend and liberal inclusion of world music elements and the very distinct bass guitar sound combining into music that is more interesting than words really can describe. An album that is worth spending a bit of time with, and presumably those with an interest in progressive rock with a strong focus on jazzrock and world music will find this album to be quite the rewarding experience.


Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, April 2023

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