Urban Project - 2023 - All Up [mini-review]

(38:27; Drops)



















German band Urban Project are out with the album "All Up", and progressive rock is probably the best categorization to use when defining the music we find on this production. It is a playful and quirky affair this one, where the compositions are executed with an expressive attitude yet also retaining a high degree of pop music sensibility. Many of the songs incorporate and make use of subtle funk elements, with various jazz-oriented details following closely behind. But we get a number of side steps here too, with the good, old blues given some solid nods along the way, other songs may feature a little bit of a folk music presence, or a touch of hard rock, and a little bit of soul manages to sneak in on an occasion too. This is catchy music with plenty of hooks, but also unpredictable music that moves about in a quirky manner you won't encounter all that often when a band explore landscapes that also comes across as being fairly broadly appealing. If a quirky and expressive variety of progressive rock with a surprising amount of pop music sensibility and a liberal amount of jazz and funk seasoning sounds like your kind of music, this is an album that merits an investigation.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, September 2023

Links:
https://www.urbanproject-music.de/

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