LALU – Paint the Sky

An incredibly diverse and intriguing mixture of prog rock and prog metal that somehow manages to pay homage to some of the legendary outfits from the 70s and simultaneously sound current and have a modern sheen to their eclectic style is what we have here, and “Paint the Sky” by the French outfit Lalu is simply a cracking good listen.

From intimate and fragile-sounding to thunderous and cinematic in scope, the record is brimming with creativity, enthusiasm, and superb ideas. Did I mention that the musicianship is top notch and that the stately production leaves nothing to be desired in terms of power and clarity? Several renowned and hugely talented musicians also make guest appearances here, and “Paint the Sky” covers so much ground both musically and lyrically that the aforementioned genre definitions of their exciting brand of atmospheric music may in fact be too damn narrow. It is certainly progressive in nature yet it feels like so much more than that, and its underlying aura of melancholy makes it all the more stirring and impressive. While many parts recall the more ethereal aspects of Yes, others are more akin to something that Porcupine Tree might do. It truly is an exciting listen; unpredictable but cohesive, if that makes sense.

This one is a grower and you need to spin it several times before things really start to sink in, but man, I am a sucker for what they do here and songs such as “Emotionalised”, “Witness to the World”, and “Won’t Rest Until the Heat of the Earth Burns the Soles of Our Feet Down to the Bone” are as varied as they are brilliant. As I mentioned earlier on, it perfectly bridges that gap between the old and the new, and I find myself being moved by this 12-track opus.