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Reviews

Kraan — Through
(Bassball BAS 20032, 2003, CD)

Through Cover art Here’s another prog band from the 70s reformed. I’m not familiar with the band’s back catalog, so I can’t make comparisons with where they’ve been. I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying Through makes me think of Kraan as a sort of space-prog Steely Dan. The same smooth jazzy grooves peddled by Becker and Fagen run through Kraan’s music, though it is less song-oriented, with lengthy instrumental passages. Helmut Hattler’s bass is more prominent than you’d find in a Dan record, with memorable lines in virtually every track. Another, more prog-oriented comparison, would be to Camel around the time of Moonmadness, with a similar feel and balance between vocals and instrumentals, though Kraan’s rhythms are less intricate. For the most part, the energy level remains a bit on the low side, but occasionally the guys step up and give a taste of what they can do, as on the middle section of “Run Sonny Run” followed by the final verse, which is backed by some busy bass work. Guitar and keys also get in some fine moments – Kraan’s forte is tasty arrangements and group interplay rather than step-into-the-spotlight soloing. As with Camel, the vocals are not the band’s strongest feature, though guitarist Peter Wolbrandt acquits himself reasonably well, at least staying on key if he’s not distinctive. The lyrics, all by Hattler, are innocuous, neither standing out as great poetry nor as trivial sop. All in all, the CD is quite enjoyable without jumping out and grabbing your attention.

by Jon Davis, Published 2003-12-01

The long awaited new Kraan studio disc is finally here, and it seems to pick right up where late 70s albums like the great Wiederhoren and Tournee left off, which will certainly be a relief for those who are familiar with their patchy late 80s and early 90s studio output. Anyone who witnessed either of their two North American appearances in the last couple years will know exactly what to expect: a slightly psychedelic tinged jazz-rock jam sound infused with a healthy dose of funk, and relatively incidental vocals which seem to exist to give the primarily instrumental songs some form and refrain. In fact all the songs here were recorded just prior to their Progday appearance and mixed and mastered just after. The disc overall may not immediately seem like a major milestone in comparison to classics like Andy Nogger and Let It Out, but in fact the nine songs herein have that uncanny ability to grow on the listener with each repeated listen and end up playing in your head all day some three days after you last heard them. Suffice to say that Through puts the band’s best foot forward and shows that they are ready to take on the future with all the gusto that they’ve given us in the past. A surprising and enjoyable release.

by Peter Thelen, Published 2003-12-01

Kraan is a German quartet that started out over 30 years ago and has enjoyed a career renaissance with well-received shows at Progday 2002 and NEARfest 2003. Their sound is a very melodic progressive fusion blend that is more groove oriented than chops-focused. The compositions (mostly by guitarist Peter Wolbrandt and bassist Hellmut Hattler) are built around melodic hooks that are good enough to be memorable. The only time that the band falls down are on the four vocal tracks where Wolbrandt’s German-accented English language singing spoils the mood that has been established. The band also veers into some funk-inflected territory at times in the establishment of the grooves, and they sound like they have been more influenced by American fusion-funk than German progressive rock. Kraan displays a melodic sense that makes Through a very enjoyable and accessible album. While it doesn’t quite stand up to 2001’s strong live release, it shows that Kraan still has plenty of creative gas left in the tank after all these years. Perhaps the next time around however they can have Wolbrandt focus exclusively on his ringing guitar sound and leave the vocal mike in its case.

by David Ashcraft, Published 2003-12-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 28, 2003 releases

Related artist(s): Kraan

 

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