In the Progressive Rock scene, the Dutch band Focus is one of the leading exponents with a career spanning over 50 years and albums that have made history. The new album “Focus 12” was released on July 05, 2024 via Spirit Of The Unicorn and contains 10 medium-length tracks. The opener “Fjord Focus” immediately plunges us into the album’s prog atmosphere with fine and refined guitar and keyboard interlacing. The rhythm section is solid and elaborate, while the flute inserts bring to mind the band’s classical sounds. The track is elaborate and full of spice, bringing the band’s sound into a fresh and modern context. Extracted as a single to anticipate the release of the album, “Focus 13” opens with refined guitar work and a softer but elaborate rhythm section. An intense and deep track with a mixture of Progressive Rock and Jazzy traits and the guitar always taking centre stage. In the middle part with a tempo change it becomes more energetic and rhythmic, evolving the theme of the song and interweaving solo keyboard inserts and refined, well-constructed guitar work, enhancing the technique of the musicians involved. “Béla” shows the band’s more Jazz Rock side with an elaborate and technical piano intro, which then develops into an intense track with solo guitar inserts. Here, too, the band enhances its compositional and performing technique with an extended guitar solo that accompanies us to the finale. The more experimental side of the band characterises the sonic twists in “Meta Indefinita,” with a heavy dose of Jazz Rock, delicate, fresh and modern. The drumming is technical and virtuosic, the deep, load-bearing bass lines give body to the track, while flute and guitar offer very elaborate cues and solo inserts. In a continuous evolution of the central theme, the track concludes in the finale by returning to softer, more dilated sounds. Rhythmic and percussive drumming characterises “All Aboard,” to which are added flute melodies and guitar inserts in the background. Tempo changes characterise the song’s structure, with the guitar playing the lead role in prolonged flute inserts and solo phrasings that accompany us throughout the song. Soft, delicate piano melodies characterise “Born to be You,” the album’s shortest passage. 1:48 minutes that enhance the compositional and performing technique on the piano. Intense and deep melodies open “Nura,” combining a touch of classical music with the band’s sound. After the first introductory part, the intensity increases as the song progresses, incorporating more Rock elements, with interweaving guitar, keyboards and flute. Cleverly, the band creates a mixture of retro sounds and fresh, modern traits, always with technique and quality. “Bowie” opens with a gentle piano melody, once again enhancing the more jazzy aspect of the band’s sound. The piano takes centre stage and accompanies us throughout the song, which is intense and full of technique. After a soft, dilated first half, “Positano,” develops with rhythmic drumming and fine flute, guitar and keyboard work. The bass creates a killer bassline that gives body to the song, making the second half more energetic and lively, enriched by solo cues. The album ends with “Gaia,” characterised by a more Jazzy and soft-sounding first part, then increasing in intensity as the minutes go by. The mixture of Rock and Jazz, more rhythmic passages and the alternation of more choral moments and soloist inserts is remarkable, leaving us with good feelings at the end of the listening. An album that departs from the band’s classic sounds, showing how they are evolving and renewing themselves with the passage of time. Entirely instrumental, it is characterised by Jazz passages mixed with more Prog passages, always enhancing both the compositional and performing technique of the band. A listen recommended for lovers of the more Jazzy sounds of Prog, delicate and very intense, always maintaining a high quality.
Tracklist
01. Fjord Focus (4:24)
02. Focus 13 (5:08)
03. Béla (4:07)
04. Meta Indefinita (4:36)
05. All Aboard (4:30)
06. Born to be You (1:48)
07. Nura (3:56)
08. Bowie (3:24)
09. Positano (3:27)
10. Gaia (4:15)
Lineup
Thijs van Leer / Keyboards, Flute
Pierre Van Der Linden / Drums
Menno Gootjes / Guitars
Udo Pannekeet / Bass
