Finnegans Wake - The Bird and the Sky Above (2010)

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Finnegans Wake - The Bird and the Sky Above (2010)

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Open your mind and let this music take you into their realm!

Is what I would suggest if you happen to listen to this album, because its sounds and colors lead you to another place, it speaks for itself.

Finnegans Wake are a Belgian band which started back in 1993, and so far they have released six albums, being the one I am reviewing their newest effort. During those years, they suffered a sensible lost when Jean-Louis Aucremanne left the band. However despite some changes they continued composing and releasing albums, they have really succeeded.

This album called “The Bird and the Sky Above” has been just released this 2010, though it was recorded in 2009 in Brazil, where Henry Krutzen (who can be named as the ban’s leader) lives; and part of it recorded in Switzerland, because there is a new member of the band, new here but a veteran within the progressive realm, Markus Stauss, who adds his bass sax to this new Finnegans Wake album.

So the album is divided in 6 great compositions, all of them make one song (The Bird and the Sky Above) but each part has its own name. The album lasts 44 minutes, so relax, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the music.

Part 1: Still Dreaming A flute appears over there and it is continually sounding, but every now and then there are some other noises that help the song creating a very “nature” sound, I mean you little by little are attracted and swallowed by the music, which leads you to another world. In this first composition, you can also appreciate some piano, a sax, percussion and a trumpet, the instruments are having a chat, it all of a sudden turns into a heavier conversation, but then it slows down and finishes very tranquil.

Part 2: First Flight You may think you are still on part one when a drum appears and turns to the second part. The sound is practically the same but now you can imagine things, you can take the songs titles and create a vision of a bird which was first dreaming but now it is awake and about to fly, you can see that it is trying to fly but maybe there is something that it wants to do before spreading its wings, I don’t know, every person can create its own story. The music is beautiful, the instruments used here are practically the same, but there are moments where you listen to them and every single note transmits you something.

Part 3: Walking on the Ground Then like a split second, the music stops and drums make the pass to the third part. This is the shortest song and it is basically led by percussions, there are some strange noises but drums are what really move this track. A very nice short piece.

Part 4: Stealing on the Picnic Table Since the very beginning of this part you will notice a different atmosphere, some sax and trumpet that will bring the RIO term to your mind immediately. Here you can remember your previous story of the bird and continue with your thoughts; the title of the part is the key because based on that, you can manage to reproduce that imaginative story that is being told in your mind. I love how the music can share several colors and textures, and also bring to your mind different feelings, it happens because of its constant changes, it sounds soft, calm and relaxing, but all of a sudden a dramatic mood change appears, the instruments are played faster and louder, but then again they calm down, however this piece ends with a dark atmosphere.

Part 5: Dark Clouds Fly bird, fly as fast as you can! It is what I imagine here due to the tremendous start of this song, it is like a thunder passing when you don’t expect it. This fifth part is the longest one with more than 13 minutes of exquisite, weird and challenging music. This same song can also be divided in parts and I would say it would perfectly fit in a short film; the role of the bird and its actions has transformed the musicians, so they are part of the story and what they play is just a resemblance of what they are seeing. You can notice that when a nervous piano starts playing, or when the saxophone produce some thoughtful or reflective sounds, or even when a gentle flute is blowing in the wind, amazing. Then, around 10:40 the music stops and seconds later soft piano notes along with that gentle flute appears, seems that the storm (if it was one) finished and the bird is preparing to something new.

Part 6: Infinite Background The last part of the album and its story, again, let your imagination run and create your own world, and invent the life of that bird who wants to fly and live easy, exploring the world and even exploring itself. In this song there is a strong percussion base, which is also accompanied by piano notes that appear here and there, but also you can appreciate a saxophone sound in different phases, I mean it sounds a bit heavier or stronger, even darker, but then it is the other way around, soft, tranquil and colorful. The last seconds are like an ellipsis, the story may continue.

As you noticed, this album is magical and I feel lucky to have it and appreciate it, though I don’t really think it could be considered a progressive rock masterpiece, what it created on me is something special that not any album shares, I really recommend it.

~ Guillermo Hernández

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Finnegans Wake - The Bird and the Sky Above (2010)

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Finnegans Wake Biography:

The band started in 1993 with my meeting with Alain Lemaître. He had just started a studio in his basement and we decided to give it a try… Then, as things were improving, I called my old friend Jean-Louis Aucremanne, with which I had played jazz duets in the 80s. We shared the same prog references (Canterbury, HENRY COW, VDGG) and there was the opportunity to start a "prog band"… Richard Redcrossed came later as we needed a lyricist and afterwards a vocalist. Here are the bios of the founding members:

1. Jean-Louis Aucremanne is a pianist, rather jazz / contempory music oriented. He studied jazz harmony in various jazz clinics in Belgium. FINNEGANS WAKE is the only band he's been member of. His references are Martial Solal, Siegfried Kessler and Bill Evans.

2. Alain Lemaître played bass in various funk and "chanson française" bands in Belgium. When FW started, he had never listened to any progressive band and didn't know anything about the existence of such a music. His prime reference is Jaco Pastorius.

3. Richard Redcrossed sang in various new wave bands in the beginning of the 80s. He was quite influenced by The STRANGLERS and has also a crooner touch that he's devolving in new projects in Belgium, under the name Richard Belgium. As a lyricist, he developed a kind of twisted surrealistic approach that can be found in the "Wenceslas" pieces.

4. Henry Krutzen studied percussion, saxophone and harmony in various schools and jazz clinics in Belgium. He also plays harmonica, recorder, piano, keyboards and some ethnic instruments (reita, balafon, ken…). He took part of many musical projects: jazz, new wave, heavy metal, experimental, world music and progressive Rock. Since 1993, he is working on three different projects:
a) FINNEGANS WAKE is a progressive rock band whose main influences go from CARAVAN, UNIVERS ZERO» and HENRY COW to today bands such as U TOTEM or UZ JSME DOMA. There are four members in the band: Richard Redcrossed (lyrics, vocals), Jean-Louis Aucremanne (piano and keyboards), Alain Lemaître (bass and keyboards) and Henry Krutzen (vocals, piano, keyboards, saxophone, recorder, ken and shanai). In 2003, Alexandre Moura-Barros (guitars) joined the band as Jean-Louis Aucremanne left. So now it is a Belgo-Brazilian band!
b) Under the name Henry Krutzen comes more intimate and personal stuff: piano pieces, songs, «new music» or experimental material.
c) "Xeno" is a prog / electronic music project.

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Finnegans Wake - The Bird and the Sky Above (2010)

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Finnegans Wake - The Bird and the Sky Above (2010)

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