Sailor Free - 2025 - Spiritual Revolution Part Three

(40:47; Tide Records)

Track list:
1. Spiritual Ouverture III 1:30
2. Incognito 5:44
3. All I Need 4:07
4. The Ghoul Within 3:52
5. So Beautiful 4:14
6. Not for Me 4:18
7. Let Me In 4:29
8. Disappear 4:12
9. Gambling 4:52
10. The Watcher 3:29

Line-up:
David Petrosino - vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar, bass
Stefano Barelli - guitars
Alphonso Nini - bass, vocals
Stefano Toni - percussion, vocals
with:
Luca Calabro - drums
Stefano Falcone - drums
Claudio Mosconi - bass
Nando Citarella - tammorra
Stefano Ribeca - saxophone, whistle, shannai
Brian Petrosino - backing vocals
Cecilia Amici - backing vocals


Prolusion.
Italian band Sailor Free has been around for more than three decades at this point, although they did have a period of time when the band was on hiatus during those years. But from 2010 and onwards they have been an active and creative unit again, with three studio albums to their name during the band's second active run. "Spiritual Revolution Part Three" is the most recent of those albums, and was released through Italian label Tide Records at the start of 2025.

Analysis.
In some ways, it is a contemporary variety of progressive rock we get on this album, and it is also a rather accessible take on the tradition we get here. With some compositions being perhaps a bit more straight forward in nature, while other creations comes across as a bit more quirky and sophisticated in the manner that the composition develops. Albeit without ever striving to be what many critics would describe as a challenging experience.

The ebb and flow between gentler and atmospheric laden passages and a more firm and heavy set display are the key elements on this production. The former generally with keyboards given a prominent position, alongside a gentler guitar presence, while the latter typically will have some prominent and dominant guitar riff constructions in the limelight. The main additional element is the sometime inclusion of atmospheric passages that takes on a more majestic mode of delivery, often with a guitar and keyboard combination as the primary force in these escapades.

While we do have songs here that comes across as a bit more of a gentle rock mixed with hard rock peaks experience, many of the songs here tend to explore a landscape that comes with similarities to a band like Porcupine Tree. Where flowing and flowing textures are a presence in the calmer as well as the harder edged parts, and with efficient use of some nice and dirt bass lines as well as guitar riffs as tasteful features in quite a few compositions. Occasionally also with a little bit of a cosmic undercurrent being present. The calm and controlled vocals brings that association to mind too.

In some of the more careful and gentle displays, as well as in some of the more majestic of the atmospheric laden passages, there is a certain resemblance to German veterans RPWL too, at least to my mind, but we also get some parts here that if not in terms of style and orientation  then at least when it comes to associations does make me think about new wave and perhaps even post-punk. Without any of these being defining features, but rather a slight and charming expansion to the kind of landscapes explored here.

Conclusion.
This has been an album that has been in the making for close to a decade, and it comes across as a well developed creation this one, where time has been spent catering for numerous small details throughout. It is a more contemporary and accessible breed of progressive rock we get as the end result, blending dreamladen accessible passages with more heavy set and at times aggressive displays. While different on quite a few levels, I would expect that fans of bands such as Porcupine Tree and Riverside would be the audience most appreciative of the landscapes explored on this production.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, January 2025

Links:
https://www.sailorfree.com/
https://www.tiderecords.it/