Keeping with the minor trend starting from yesterday, today I’ll be listening to an album from another genre I haven’t written about yet, Krautrock (this is a subgenre that Discogs lists for this album). This is sort of surprising to me, because I dig Krautrock a lot whenever I do listen to it, however it’s been a while since I’ve done that. The band who made the album is called Message, a progressive rock band that was comprised of German and British musicians, which was formed in Germany in 1968, and split up in 1981. The didn’t seem to pick up much momentum in the mainstream, and the lack of commercial attention could have been a reason for the band’s splitting up. This album, The Dawn Anew Is Coming (1972), was the band’s first album, which is somewhat of a heavier psychedelic prog rock from what I can tell from a quick glance online. I’m excited to give this one a listen, so with that said I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Changes” starts really smoothly, with the band gently grooving you into the soundscape. I really dig the bongo-like percussion in the background the beginning that adds some nice accentuations to the groove. Oh wow, this is sweet. The band still feels like they’re relaxing you into the soundscape as different movements take place in the tune. The guitars seem to be very bass heavy in terms of sound, creating a rich warm tone that fills the soundscape, as the actual bass bops and grooves the soundscape forward alongside the steady drums. Oh wow, the bongos come back again – super sweet. Oh wow, there’s a sax part too, I’m really digging this one. There’s almost like a tropical tinge to this groovy prog tune, which feels like it has some super smooth psychedelia laced throughout, reminiscent of a band like Cream. Great track.
Oh wow, “The Dawn Anew Is Coming” starts with the sounds of a storm in the background while the a gentle swishing muted string line provides something of a smooth percussion piece to the track. Holy smoke, there’s such a delicate droning guitar or bass or even keyboard melody that moves the track along from the background. Oh wow, some super bright guitar comes in on top of the soundscape to add some great contrast to the soundscape. Holy smokes, this song is sweet. There have been like 3 or 4 different movements only a few minutes into the track, all of which very naturally change the track up quite nicely. Oh wow, this is sweet; it sounds as though some 60s west coast psychedelic folk rock track is on top of a really smooth Krautrock track, all tied together with a super smooth prog rock feel. Wow, this track is great with the bright acoustic and the warm setting of the rest of the instrumentation and soundscape. Oh wow, the soundscape returns to the warm drone from the beginning only with some different sounds from nature. Great tune.
“Evil Faith And Charity” has a nearly sinister sound at the beginning of the track, with the band expanding on that trope and gradually working the soundscape into a really flavorful tune with some super warm and rich distortion from the guitars that work cohesively with the drums and bass to groove the song along and into different movements throughout the tune. Oh wow, that sinisterish sound from the beginning of the song has seemingly been transmuted to something else from the different movements that the band played. Super sweet track.
“Heaven Knows” has a very classical melody at the beginning that I recognize, but I don’t know from where. Oh wow, the delicate, warm, patient sound from the soundscape really conjures up a nearly religious sound at first, until the band drops into a super tasty prog rock groove and signals the next movement in the tune. The song feels nearly like a prayer in the form of some super tasty psychedelic prog rock. The lead guitar really drips into the soundscape nicely, with the rhythm guitar and bass guitar providing a low, nearly crunchy reverberation on the other side of the soundscape. Oh wow, the melodic work from the guitars is quite nice as it moves between a purely clean tone and one with some super tasty wah pedal action, while the drums and bass keep the rhythm of the tune steady with a soft, meandering beat for the current movement. Oh wow, the main line from the tune that seems to signal the changing of movements nearly snaps you back to reality in a super sweet way. There’s almost a tinge of jazz to the outro with the drums as the soundscape returns to a nearly religious sound with the super harmonious background vocals and warm, patient sound in the tune. Great track.
Oh wow, “When I’m Home” starts out really hot with some fast-paced drums and guitar that all seem to whirl together while the bass plays a bopping droning line that keeps the tune moving forward. Oh wow, the band is almost producing a sensation that they’re slowly reeling you back to reality after allowing you to travel further than you might’ve realized. Oh wow, now the vocals are a spoken word portion, while the instrumentation gently fades away for a moment while producing increasingly sweet sounds in the background, especially as the keyboard/synth (or possibly orchestral strings?) gradually increases in loudness. Oh wow, the instrumentation all fades back in for some absolutely delicious jams with the bass and electric guitars seemingly echoing one another for a moment while the drums drive the track forward. Oh wow, one of the guitars seemingly drips tasty notes into the soundscape with some nice wah pedal for a moment. Oh wow, the band really produces a great feeling of resolution as the song and album both come to a close. Another great tune.
Wow, this album was sweet. I really dig the sound of Krautrock whenever I hear it, which only made this largely progressive rock and psychedelic rock album all the sweeter. I’m definitely interested in hearing more of the band’s work after their debut. There was a ton of really pleasant songwriting combining warm sounds, fluent movements, and really nice playing from the band contained in this album. If you dig progressive rock, or especially psychedelic prog rock to any degree, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A