Splink is an eccentric British band that offers a personal Progressive Rock contaminated by Folk, Psychedelia and more. The new mini-album “Magnifique Eccentrique” was released on August 19, 2023 and contains five long mostly instrumental tracks. The opener “Descending Into Red” features dreamy violin melodies and an elaborate rhythm section, enhanced by continuous tempo changes. The intensity increases as the song flows and evolves, with exquisite and sophisticated interweaving of the instruments between refined melodies and solo inserts. The band skilfully blends all their stylistic facets, finding the perfect point of union between the different genres that make up their sound. A track that immediately immerses us in the album’s sounds and that enhances the band’s compositional and performing technique. The album’s shortest track “Swimming in Hot Water,” which still exceeds four minutes, shows a heavier side of the band’s sound. Distorted guitar riffs and an energetic rhythm section, always very elaborate, and an increased use of effects and modulations. An interweaving of Prog, Rock and a Psychedelic touch, creating a hypnotic, enveloping sound with a fine solo duet between guitar and violin in the finale. “Jupiter’s Child” opens with atmospheric, dilated sounds, and then develops a prog theme with the violin playing the lead role in the melodies. Here too, the tempo changes are an added value to the sound, allowing it to mix Prog Rock and neo-Psychedelia with quality through the long instrumental textures in a constant crescendo. Skilful is the band in evolving the central theme of the track, between more energetic passages, symphonic openings and very sophisticated solo textures. Intense violin melodies characterise “Euphoric Wings,” with its solid and elaborate rhythm section, always engaging. The vocal parts are dynamic and fit well into the musical context of the song. The band combines the more symphonic traits of Prog, more Rock traits and pleasant Jam-style instrumental textures. The second part opens with a fine stgrumental section with guitar and violin solo inserts, then returns to the opening theme and concludes. The album ends with “Canterbury ’23,” a lively track with a very elaborate sound. As the title suggests, the sounds are reminiscent of the Canterbury Scene, with excellent and refined phrasing between the instruments, continuous tempo changes and a structure that combines Prog and Jazz of the highest quality. A succession of high-level emotions and ideas, which conclude the listening experience and leave us wanting to listen to this album many more times in the future.
Tracklist
01. Descending Into Red (06:45)
02. Swimming in Hot Water (04:36)
03. Jupiter’s Child (06:24)
04. Euphoric Wings (06:38)
05. Canterbury ’23 (06:30)
Lineup
Matt Evans / Guitar and Keys
Tim Chapman / Drums
Vikki Ings / Violin
Andy Crickett / Bass
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