DEEP PURPLE – Whoosh!

British hard rock pioneers Deep Purple surely need no introduction and so I am not going to spend any of your precious time walking you through their rich and illustrious history. Instead, let us turn our attention to this upcoming record of theirs entitled "Whoosh!", which contains thirteen wonderful compositions that are as elegant as they are playful.

There is something quite classy and sophisticated about "Whoosh!", which pertains to both the music and lyrics, but also plenty of vitality and bombast. Progressive hard rock has rarely sounded better than it does here. The album is arguably a slightly mellower affair than its predecessor, the near-flawless "InFinite", but it is just as beautifully arranged and incredibly well-written, and there are lots of clever twists and turns present on the disc – just as one would expect from an LP by these living legends. Gillan is phenomenal throughout and Morse’s playing is a simply a riveting thing to experience. As with "InFinite", Bob Ezrin’s production is strong and muscular here too and every instrument is allowed to breathe while the entire thing comes across as vigorous and lively. It is suitably polished and yet it never turns stiff or lifeless.

"Whoosh!" contains a solid amount of groove and if yours truly had to pick a number of favorites, the proggy "Nothing at All", the rock ‘n’ roll-inspired "What the What", and the ridiculously catchy "No Need to Shout" are the first ones that come to mind, but perhaps the very highlight of the disc is the heartfelt and somewhat melancholic "We’re All the Same in the Dark". "The Power of the Moon" possesses an aura of mysticism and is stellar too. There is also a re-recorded version of the 1968 Purple tune entitled "And the Address" included, which to my knowledge was one of the very first songs ever conceived by the ensemble all those years ago, but this 2020 rendition of the sprawling track lacks the warmth and psychedelic charm of its original counterpart. Still, it is a cool way of paying tribute to the early years of the band and their humble beginnings.

"Whoosh!" is a perfectly balanced record that encompasses so many aspects of Purple’s various musical excursions throughout the past 52 years and in that sense this awesome piece of work is both diverse and always exciting to immerse oneself in. This is the sound of an insanely talented group of musicians having fun and following their own musical instincts. In summing up, "Whoosh!" is as inspired as it is inspiring.

https://deeppurple.com/