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Rating: Average |
The Dutch band Kracq was founded in 1977. The band debuted a year later with the LP "Circumvision," of which only 500 copies were distributed. It featured a somewhat obscure brand of progressive rock infused with psychedelia and jazzy elements. In 1979, the band disbanded again without a trace. Guitarist Jos Hustings and keyboardist Bert Vermijs, along with a female vocalist, later recorded several cassette albums under the Kracq name. The Polumnia label has now reissued the debut album, as well as a combination of two of their cassettes, on CD. The question, then, is: are we glad this music has been rescued from obscurity?
I can only offer my opinion on the debut album under review, and I'm inclined to say "Yes," because the creativity displayed by keyboardist Vermijs (particularly his pioneering work on the monophonic synthesizer) deserves to be heard. With his driving piano and clavinet playing, he regularly manages to whip the music into a Zappa-esque groove, where the infectious rhythm section naturally stands out. It's bassist Twan van der Heijden, in particular, who clearly comes to the fore with his delightful playing.
Actually, it's all a bit too much. The mixing ratios are a bit odd anyway. For example, Hustings' guitar is noticeably soft throughout, while the vocoder in Day In, Day Out comes through quite loudly. The bare sound of "Circumvision" is very dated, but that was probably already the case back then. Kracq's music has been overtaken left and right 796,000 times by now, but ultimately, it's about the content, and that's quite decent at times. So, not everything is perfect. Sometimes Kracq really irritates me with those pointless passages of kitchen-drawer percussion or a track with just a bit of random noise. There are also four ultra-short pieces on what was then the B-side, but these are actually quite unremarkable.
That leaves nine noteworthy tracks. Well, eight, actually, because Y Live is nothing more than the conclusion of Y. The album opens rather eerily with percussion. "Summer Of My Life" develops into a rather messy song that feels rather fragmented due to its many variations. The floating strings and melodic guitar lines, as well as the acoustic strumming, are not bad, but the chaotic parts they alternate with are. This song also features some decent vocals. They fit the music well and are somewhat reminiscent of Robert Jan Stips of Supersister. This suits the band well, as the music can be placed somewhat in that category.
Yet, the rest of the original A-side is entirely instrumental (apart from a bit of vocoder). "Day In Day Out" is quite melodic and features a frenzied Vermijs. It's already clear that Kracq is all about his keyboard touches. "Somewhere In The Evening" is packed with jazzy runs, and in "Y" he excels with a truly magnificent classical-sounding piano intermezzo. Then he comes in with some lovely, quintessentially Dutch piano chopping. He's undoubtedly a captivating musician.
= Full Album Play List =
= Track List =
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