Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kaipa
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2010
Runtime: 70:05
Rating: 3/5
“In the Wake of Evolution” is the second studio album from the cult Swedish prog veterans Kaipa since the departure of longtime guitarist Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Agents Of Mercy). Ever since their reunion in 2000, when Inside Out gave them a new lease on life and, with it, a fresh base of fans, Kaipa have been turning out quality records with modern production, marked by a high level of instrumental and technical polish and a knack for building sprawling, pomp-stuffed symphonic prog rock epics in the manner of Yes, ELP and Genesis. The new album is no different: on the technical side there’s once again nothing to fault, but in certain areas it doesn’t fare so well, especially when it comes to the overall mood of the record, which is painfully predictable once more and leaves plenty of wishes unfulfilled.
With musicians like Jonas Reingold (bassist with The Flower Kings and Karmakanic), Morgan Agren (former live drummer for Frank Zappa) and keyboardist and bandleader Hans Lundin, pretty much every modern prog band, and plenty of classic rock ones too, would no doubt jump at the chance to work. All of them deserve credit for the abundance of fantastic, epic arrangements built on a fusion of symphonic and rock, gourmet solos and unpredictable time changes, while guitarist Per Nilsson is in no way comparable to Stolt: despite his wide technical range, he lacks Roine’s sense of humor and subtlety when it comes to crafting guitar phrases and solos.
A much bigger problem plaguing “In The Wake Of Evolution,” and Kaipa in general over the last ten years, is that they’re stuck in the same compositional patterns over and over, so you pretty much know what to expect from every new album, along with an overbearing streak of preachy “new age” lyrics that don’t get the desired effect and at best recall second-rate Yes, and at worst aging hippies who time has completely run over. Kaipa are eternal merry optimists, even more than the Flower Kings, which means that with them ‘the flowers are always in bloom’. Another problem is the often seriously irritating vocal performances from the band’s “eternal” collaborators, Aleena Gibson and Patrick Lindstrom (Ritual). The moment Gibson heads for the high lines she starts grating on the nerves, while Lundstrom, in his frequent attempts to land a voice akin to Freddie Mercury (Queen), comes off as rather pathetic and tasteless.
The greatest irony of Kaipa is that this is one of the oldest and most respected Swedish prog rock outfits, yet these days they sound much more like modern prog-revival acts of the The Flower Kings type, with whom, even after Stolt’s exit, they share the most in musical and lyrical vocabulary. The title track is utterly typical, not to say stereotypical, feel-good Kaipa, full of friendly melodies and high notes, while the lyrics contain allusions to evergreen creations by prog giants like The Moody Blues and Yes. The moment Gibson chimes in, the initial momentum is gone, and teamed up with Lindstrom she’s sadly the main reason for the sudden sterility and forced feel. The whole thing would be a lot better if the entire album were simply instrumental.
Thanks to its folk elements, “In the Heart of Her Own Magic Field” also recalls one of the Ritual tracks, while Ms. Gibson once again proves that her voice would suit folk rock or pop rock better, since this is also the only song on the album where her singing is bearable. “Electric Power Notes,” which at more than seventeen minutes plays the role of the super-epic, is by far the best track on the album thanks to its rich symphonic arrangements and superb improvisations. The only problem, once again, is the vocals, though this time they’re mostly in the background, luckily, and don’t manage to wreck the epic atmosphere. The instrumental “Folkia’s First Decision” is yet another “lost” Ritual track, ruled by baroque flute arrangements courtesy of Fredrik Lindqvist, who is best known as a member of that same band. The promising “The Words Are Like Leaves” is packed with guitar classicism and majestic symphonic arrangements, but Gibson almost completely ruins it with her croaking vocal turn, while Lindstrom never tires of his failed quest to become Freddie’s doppelganger. The remaining three compositions follow the stylistic patterns and sonic direction of the earlier tracks, meaning the instrumental side will wow the listener, while the vocals will easily kill the mood for most.
With “In the Wake of Evolution,” Kaipa have put out yet another album to please their longtime devotees, but once again it sticks to all their well-worn songwriting formulas and, as such, brings nothing thrilling or new that would justify churning out new studio records so regularly. The album will appeal to symphonic prog fanatics and most fans of prog-revival bands like Transatlantic, Spock’s Beard and The Flower Kings, since even though Kaipa come from the “golden” seventies, these days, partly thanks to the production, they have more in common with those bands than with their own contemporaries. Anyone who gets excited by more experimental approaches and believes that progressive rock has far from exhausted its possibilities will find it rather dull. As for hoping they’ll bring in more fitting singers any time soon, that’s probably pointless, since old buddies always have to be rewarded for past services with a little attention, even if their singing offers more bad than good.
Lineup
Patrik Lundström – vocals
Hans Lundin – keyboards and backing vocals
Jonas Reingold – bass guitar
Morgan Ã…gren – drums
Per Nilsson – electric and acoustic guitar
Aleena Gibson – vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Fredrik Lindqvist – flutes
Elin Rubinsztein – violin
Production
Hans Lundin
Tracklist
1. In The Wake Of Evolution (10:57)
2. In The Heart Of Her Own Magic Field (5:12)
3. Electric Power Water Notes (17:51)
4. Folkia’s First Decision (2:33)
5. The Words Are Like Leaves (5:36)
6. Arcs Of Sound (8:22)
7. Smoke From A Secret Source (9:24)
8. The Seven Oceans Of Our Mind (10:09)
