Lunar Cape - 2016 - Just Lunatics

(55:37; Artbeat Music)

Track list:
1. Pink Slippers 5:47
2. Сarré 4:52
3. Motorbike 5:23
4. Chinese Road 3:55
5. Cat Bite 6:40
6. Dudki 1:37
7. Mouse Dirigible 5:20
8. Southern Harbor 5:50
9. The Realm of Sleep 5:52
10. Cats The Captains 3:22
11. Blizzard 6:59

Line-up:
Petrovsky Nikolay – guitars, harmonica, recorder
Olga Scotland – flute, mandolin, recorders
Paul Bulak – keyboards, guitars, effects
Andrey Shashkov – bass, recorder
Mikhail Zolotarev – drums
with:
Ilya Myasin – recorder


Prolusion.
Russian band Lunar Cape has been around in one form or another since at least 2012, and have released three studio albums as of 2023. The first of these is the production "Just Lunatics", which was released through Russian label ArtBeat Music back in 2016.

Analysis.
With this debut album, Lunar Cape showcase their abilities to explore the instrumental progressive rock universe in a light and elegant manner. One that comes with a few very distinct associations, but also material that is generally compelling in nature and exploring landscapes that should have a fairly broad general appeal.

One aspect of the compositions that is noticeable straight away is that the flute is an important instrument for this band. There is an old cliche among reviewers and progressive rock fans that if a flute is involved, references to either Jethro Tull or to Camel are obligatory, where the general nature of the flute playing and the landscapes in which it is used is the deciding factor for what reference to use. Pretty much detailed as dreamladen music require a Camel reference, and just about everything else will quite naturally come with a Jethro Tull reference. For me this is a case where I find it naturally to reference both of these, with flowing flute details closer to the kind of music Camel tends to explore while the more tight and vibrant flute displays comes across as much closer to what Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull are known for. Including the use of minor vocalizations alongside the flute solo runs.

The compositions as a whole are much closer to what Camel used to sound like back in the 1970's, with elegant flowing landscapes of a borderline tranquil beauty being the order of the day. Often with a bit of a subtle jazzrock underpinning and occasional lapses into landscapes with a little bit of a symphonic flavor added in. The band will also expand upon this foundation, with a little bit more of a funk and groove oriented flavoring added in some instances and a more distinct folk or world music orientation being a presence in other cases. We do get a few side steps into a more vibrant landscape closer aligned to classic era Jethro Tull also outside of the flute overlays, but those select occasions are exceptions rather than a defining aspect of this album. The same is the case with a one-off left turn into a more whimsical display with more of a playful avant orientation and what may possibly be a bit more of a reference to one of the Russian folk music traditions.

The mix and production applied gives the compositions here something of a classic era sound, mood and atmosphere too. If this is a case of analogue techniques being used or applying some very deliberate choices on digital equipment I do not know, but the end result is that this is an album that also sounds like it could have been recorded back in the 1970's. With the kind of landscapes explored on this production, this is, in my view at least, the perfect choice they could have made too.

Conclusion.
Those fond of the more accessible and compelling varieties of 1970's instrumental progressive rock should find this album to be an adorable one. This is a charming creation with a solid quality on all levels, and the main focus on landscapes closer to classic era Camel and more occasional side steps into the more vibrant Jethro Tull oriented escapades is a blend that works very well too. Dreamladen instrumental progressive rock with pastoral escapades and folk music elements given an elegant jazzrock seasoning and an occasional vibrant bite is perhaps one manner in which to summarize the contents here, and fans of classic era Camel in particular should find a lot to enjoy on this album.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, August 2023

Links:
https://lunar-cape.ru/