Within progressive music, and especially within its odd sister-genre zeuhl, there are many competing forces. This makes sense, of course: a genre known for musical experimentation must, by force, include contradiction because that's how our brains often perceive complexity. Especially in music, where the competing forces of harmony and dissonance make up so much of our perception. Specifically in progressive rock, we can identify a few central tensions: melody, dissonance, tightness, expansiveness, and more. Papangu first burst into our perception with Holoceno, an album that was a sort of conflagration created from all of these tensions being driven to their brink. They followed that up with Lampião Rei, which was journey down one path, namely one of "open", "thin", and expansiveness sounds. Now, the Brazilian ensemble returns with another version, this time reaching deep into the core of progressive rock and bringing back one of its most defining attributes: brightness.
Where Holoceno was tight like a ball of magma and Lampião Rei was rarified like a cloud, Celestial takes after its namesake and shines like the sun or the stars. First and foremost in creating this brightness are the synths. Instead of the all encompassing and redolent sound of Holoceno, Celestial is characterized with a sweet, warm, and fantastical synth sound which immediately sets the stage for exploration. Fans of progressive rock will immediately reach for the Yes comparison but there is more here than simple homage; Papangu are proving themselves masters of this sound as well, creating truly engrossing and captivating passages with the synths. My favorites are on "Colosso", the second track, an agile, light-hearted, and transportive affair that works wonders on the heart.
It also has great usage of my second favorite on this album: bass. Papangu have chosen a "natural" and rich tone to couple with the synths here and "Colosso" has some of the best "conversations" between synth and bass that I've heard. Of course the guitars and the drums play a major role in these discussions; the drums are especially important for this track, and for the album. But there is something so joyous in how the bass and synths work here, something in their agility and subtilty that communicates the main accent or theme of the album. "Celeste", further down the album, is another magnificent example of this collaboration and probably my favorite track on the album in its whirling, jittery pace.
In a way, this lighter tone serves to make Celestial feel more approachable and less intricate but this, of course, is a mistake. With a ten-part concept at its core, and multiple genres swimming within its embrace, Celestial has a lot of intricacy to it. In a way, it is less accessible because it is also less upfront with its ambition. It requires that the listener commit fully to its journey, a staple of the sort of progressive rock being referenced here. Luckily, this is quite easy to do as the album reveals more and more of its beauty on repeated listens. We haven't covered even a fragment of what's waiting for you on Celestial, from mysterious vocals, through breakneck grooves and folks sensibilities, and all the way to fusion rock and psychedelic crescendos.
If you clicked on this review, you probably already knew I was only going to be able to capture a slight part of one of progressive rock's most intricate bands and you were right. Papangu have once more released a work of music on their own terms, completely dedicated to their craft and its execution. Its a different path up the mountain but oh boy, is the view just as gorgeous, awash in the rays of a bright, warm sun promising many valleys and peaks before the journey is done. Step forwards, won't you?
Celestial will be released on August 7th. You can, and should, click through to the Bandcamp link above to pre-order it.