In And Out Of Focus / Spirit Of Unicorn Music 2024
Full steam ahead to let the circle be unbroken: flying Dutchmen venture out for another bout of unstoppable dreams.
12
Twelve is a magic number with wondrous roundness to the two digits, so there a certain logic in the Holland legends’ desire to turn back time, spin the clock for half a century and half a decade to the past, and tap into the unique style that made them so special, and still retain the contemporary edge they’ve been demonstrating since the current line-up gelled into a fresh force before delivering "11" in 2018. A fantastic experiment in capturing the spirit of yore, such an approach doesn’t require the musicians to select straightforward references to what the ensemble’s classic records offered, yet in quite a few instances the listener will know the roots of a particular track. One can suggest the veterans play it safe now, and with the Roger Dean design on the cover depicting sunset the sense of serenity seems tangible indeed, but how else they should go about the album which might precede the foursome’s next, sinister step?
That step is already outlined here, though, as the collective, having attached the twelfth installment in their series of self-titled pieces to the "Completely Focussed" extravaganza, shift the gear a notch forward to unfold the initially elegiac “Focus 13” and lull the audience first into a reverie and then a riff-propelled dance, after the solemnly marching “Fjord Focus” manages to whip up a frenzied, flute-flaunting fusion to start it all up. Of course, puns are plenty on this platter – produced by the group’s younger generation, guitarist Menno Gootjes and bassist Udo Pannekeet, and driven by their explosive energy as much as by vision of Thijs Van Leer and Pierre van der Linden who let the dynamic “Meta Indefinita” off the leash to show the quartet’s improvisatory talents remain intact, but their wildness and humor feel balanced when familial affairs float into view. As Menno’s short “Born To Be You” – featuring his piano alongside orchestral synth – follows Udo’s groovily fluttering “All Aboard” and leads to the vibrant baroque-rock of “Nura” which is dedicated to the latter’s daughter, the album’s lyrical leanings become obvious, and while “Béla” and “Bowie” – the chamber-like recitals which bear Thijs’ grandchildren’s names, as does the magnificent, slyly half-familiar finale, “Gaia” – could also reflect the influence of the “Romanian Folk Dances” and “Space Oddity” writers, there’s immense warmth in these melodies.
There’s no need for voice – it’s the Dutchmen’s first-ever record done entirely without vocals – for the tunes of the acoustically tinctured “Positano” and other cosmic serenades are eloquent enough. So if the band don’t find the strength for the tentatively even more adventurous “13” in the near future, “12” will stand the test of time as a last testament to the existence of a very distinctive ensemble.
*****
