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Carlotta Valdes — Praha
(Eclipse Music no#, 2022, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-08-24

Praha Cover art

Carlotta Valdes, like Stella Lee Jones, is a band, not a person. In this case, the band hails from Finland, and was formed by keyboardist Emil Lähteenmäki, who is better known in some circles as a member of a group called Stam1na. I‘m not in those circles, so all I know is that it’s listed as a progressive metal band. In any case, Carlotta Valdes is an instrumental unit consisting of Lähteenmäki (keyboards), Heikki Ala-Nikkola (guitar), Jere Haakana (guitar), Onni Hamard (bass), Teemu Tähkänen (drums), and Katri Antikainen (cello). Lähteenmäki wrote the eight tunes on Praha, and they are some tasty tunes indeed, combining elements of symphonic grandeur, fusion grooves, chamber music delicacy, and a bit of edgy experimentalism. For my taste, the balance of elements is just right, with the keyboard parts made up of both classic and modern sounds. Hammond organ and piano nestle beside synths of all generations. The guitar is similarly varied, with elements of vintage tone but not shying away from modern elements, straddling rock and jazz. There are tricky prog-metal riffs from time to time, but also fluid legato lines with a hint of Holdsworth. The compositions and arrangements hit a variety of moods, at times laying down slinky grooves, at other times working through tricky rhythms. There are even occasional digital manipulations of the instruments. The group manages to develop a cohesive sound even with the range of sounds presented, and there are no weak moments. Praha is a multifaceted gem of an album, and each of the eight tracks is a distinctive shiny face.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Carlotta Valdes

More info
http://carlottavaldes.bandcamp.com/album/praha

 

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