Original language: German
Reviews by: Jochen Rindfrey @
On the occasion of their 25th anniversary, the Munich-based formation Lukas Tower Band has released the album Albedo, a collection of older and newer tracks. For a band that has been around for a quarter of a century, the Munich band’s discography is quite sparse, as besides this album and After Long Years, there seems to be nothing else. This is quite regrettable because the septet offers a very listenable mix of styles, where although you can clearly hear obvious influences, they are blended in an original way to create a unique style. According to the band’s own description, LTB “operates in the realm of progressive rock, while the strong folk-rock influence from Celtic and Anglo-Saxon origins is unmistakable.” This hits the mark, especially if you add that there are also distinct influences of Canterbury-style jazz rock. The band mentions as comparisons both the folk-rock heroes Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, as well as from the prog/Canterbury sphere, Camel and Caravan. All names that make my ears perk up.
Indeed, the band moves seamlessly from lively jigs and reels (or sad slow airs sigh) to laid-back jazz rock à la early Caravan, to typical proggy guitar solos with strong organ parts that sound as if Andy Latimer and the late Peter Bardens had dropped by for a jam. And all of this can indeed be in the same song! From time to time, world music influences also make an appearance. Instrumental variety is ensured by expanding the usual rock lineup with accordion, violin, and various flutes. This is all rounded off by the beautiful vocals of Angela Maier, who doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of some other folk icons but suits this folk-prog-jazz mixture much better this way.
So, variety is definitely provided. I don’t even mind that the music is generally gentle and tuned for pleasing sounds. In principle, I prefer a few more edges and corners, and occasionally something a bit rougher. Here, however, only rarely does the music rock harder (as in “Strange Ways”), but LTB manages to avoid any sense of uniformity with constantly new, unexpected twists.
The CD also contains some PDF files with song lyrics, explanations about the songs, and an interview with Wolfgang Fastenmeier, as well as a few video clips from the “25th Anniversary Concert” on April 17, 2010. So, it’s a well-packed offering, and given the overall quality, one wonders why this band isn’t more widely known.
They deserve it! Great album!