G.O.D. 2016
A New Mirrored You
Reflection of two worlds: Belgian artist looks for an balance between the mundane and the imaginary.
From the BOOK OF AM project to a book by Dante, Will Z. has been trying to uncover all things subconscious in various ways. If the cosmic vibe of "New Start" overtly surfed brain waves, its follow-up – inspired by Alighieri’s “La Vita Nuova” and, thus, marking another beginning – works on a more subtle level. Acidic solemnity of “Psychedelic Church” aside, there’s little spaced-out moments here but the album is riveting all around.
The title track’s vibrant veneer and riff – very reminiscent of “Apache” – can’t prepare one’s ear for the quiet wonders that ensue to strip the multicolored, raga-rippled rumble in favor of pastel tapestries. “Emblem XXVII” is fluttering so delicately that it’s barely there, yet its charm is inescapable, and while “The Book Of Battles” amplifies the shimmer of “Farewell Yet Not Farewell” it’s only to unfold a medieval folk melody and turn it into MOR vocalise. Still, the soft voices and flute of “Through The Wind” are hypnotically enchanting, as is the stately piano and mandolin strum underpinning “Screen Lady” with its meandering Moog, whereas “Deep In The Forest” takes us back to the ’60s lysergic-spiked innocence. That’s the source of Will Z.’s inspiration for sculpting art out of a difficult relationship, and if this is escapism that’s how the best things come to life.
****1/4
