Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Modest Midget
Label: Multi-Polar Music
Release: 2014
Duration: 48:29
Rating: 4.5/5
The Dutch outfit Modest Midget first got on the radar with their brilliant debut, »The Great Prophecy of a Small Man« (2010). Now they’re back with album number two, »Crysis«, which is at least as good as that surprisingly strong first record and in places brings even more fun ideas to the table. Across twelve tracks, »Crysis« lays out a complex concept about the different cycles of life, which at the same time sketch the big changes in modern society and the music industry, where the fallout will certainly be felt for quite a while yet. Modest Midget’s style is pretty hard to pin down, because these progressive rock upstarts, led by singer, guitarist, composer and band leader Lonny (Lionel) Ziblat, throw rock, soul, baroque, ska, jazz, symphonic rock, punk, Romani music and Sicilian tarantella into the same pot in a wildly eclectic way.
Ziblat, a classically trained composer and arranger and a superb guitarist, is joined in the band by two big jazz fusion fans, bassist/composer Maarten Bakker and drummer Willem Smid, while keyboardist Tristan Hupe brings extremely broad musical horizons, stretching from classical music, jazz fusion, pop and punk to Brazilian traditional music. Just like on the first album, the members of Modest Midget are joined on »Crysis« by a whole host of excellent guest musicians, who mostly take care of the orchestral arrangements, which are never in short supply on this record and deliver plenty of dramatic moments.
On »Crysis«, Modest Midget don’t favor any of those genres. Instead, they beautifully blend some of their best qualities into a seriously tasty sonic stew, and every now and then they win you over with a very sophisticated sense of humor, something modern progressive rock often lacks. The short intro »The Grand Gate Opening« could pass for relaxing ambient music, while on »A Centurion’s Itchy Belly« the band shows off its fierce eclecticism for the first time on the album, as the structure and the turbulent compositions shift from second to second with countless unexpected stylistic swerves and unusual time changes. The humor comes mostly from the Romani music elements, where Ziblat’s playful guitar improvisations stand out, although every musician’s contribution is a virtuoso chapter in its own right, and the retro production does its part too, giving most of the songs a seventies stamp.
After two instrumentals comes the fun fusion hybrid »Rocky Valleys of Dawn«, which was also released as a single. Here Ziblat uses his vocals for the first time, and the timbre of his voice could at times fit just as well into modern pop or indie rock. That means Modest Midget have very good commercial potential, but for now they couldn’t care less and would rather revel in the unbridled, idiosyncratic artistic expression of their remarkable instrumental and arranging skills. »Praise The Day« is a pastoral-psychedelic ballad with soothing acoustic guitar chords and a dreamy vocal turn from Ziblat. »Now That We’re Here« is one of the longer and also most interesting tracks on »Crysis«. A punkish intro gives way to symphonic prog rock, with plenty of improvisational tomfoolery and ethereal vocal harmonies that sound like they were copied straight from the sixties. Modest Midget fuse seemingly incompatible sonic elements with incredible finesse and rhythmic tightness, all while keeping a heaping dose of melody.
The gently ambient »Periscope Down« is a jazz fusion treat with pop charm that will remind many a listener of the legendary Steely Dan, while Ziblat once again successfully shows off his vocal and guitar eclecticism. An immensely witty and fun cover of the pop evergreen »(Oh) Pretty Woman«, originally by Roy Orbison, adds even more spice to this already colorful and lively album. While listening to the rowdy instrumental »Flight of The Cockroach«, it’s not hard to picture an enraged cockroach zipping around to the sound of cheeky percussion and guitar improvisation, where instrumental virtuosity blends harmoniously with remarkable spontaneity and sass.
The ambient-dark »Secret Lies« is another hugely entertaining experiment with symphonic and pop rock elements, where you can pick up traces of early Queen (plenty of operetta and pomp elements), late Beatles (a certain kinship with the classic »I Want You (She’s So Heavy)«) and even King Crimson (thanks to the Mellotron). »Gone Is« is a psychedelic, folky ballad with the style and production stamp of the early seventies and loads of tasteful guitar interplay. »Crisis (Awake of the Sheep)« is a symphonic prog rock (mini) epic with lots of fusion finesse and crafty improvisational detours, and it counts among the most interesting moments of this otherwise very well-balanced album. The closing track »Birth« is another intriguing mix of modern and traditional tunes, where you can hear a range of influences from contemporary indie/pop bands and prog ‘classics’ like Pink Floyd.
With »Crysis«, Modest Midget have proven that their critically well-received debut was no flash in the pan on the way to becoming one of the most interesting names in modern progressive rock. Their latest is another hugely entertaining, eclectic musical adventure that richly rewards the listener with a cheeky yet refined blend of melody and complexity. It’s the small sonic and lyrical details, like the occasional dose of humor, that give them a big chunk of their identity and set them apart from the many similar modern prog bands, which also have no shortage of top-notch, ambitious musicians with plenty of interesting ideas, so their career is well worth following in the future too.
Line-up
Lonny Ziblat – vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming
Willem Smid – drums
Maarten Bakker – bass guitar, keyboards
Tristan Hupe – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Dimitar Bodurov – accordion
Yael Shachar – violin, viola
Jurriaan Berger – keyboards, programming
Eduardo Olloqui – oboe
Emiel de Jong – saxophone
Sanne Vos – whistle and bassoon
Anna Zeijlemaker – flute
Production
Lonny Ziblat
Track list
1. The Grand Gate Opening (1:53)
2. A Centurion’s Itchy Belly (4:34)
3. Rocky Valleys of Dawn (3:53)
4. Praise the Day (2:50)
5. Now That We’re Here (3:42)
6. Periscope Down (3:52)
7. (Oh)Pretty Woman (2:25)
8. Flight of the Cockroach (2:39)
9. Secret Lies (6:19)
10. Gone Is (3:49)
11. Crisis (Awake of the Sheep) (7:10)
12. Birth (5:23)
