4th

by François CoutureHow do you push a longstanding group to new artistic heights? Judging by Finnegans Wake's example, it seems that splitting its members across two continents is one way to do it. The double set 4th is the group's first effort since its leader, Henry Krutzen, has moved from Belgium to Brazil. By now, the group works mostly as a trio: Krutzen (who also plays tenor sax), bassist Alain Lemaître, and guitarist Alexandre Moura-Barros. Singer/lyricist Richard Redcrossed is credited as a full member, but he contributes to only two tracks out of 13 (and those are the weakest of the album). Revolving around this compositional core are 15 guest musicians, most of them Brazilian, boosting up Finnegans Wake's sound to that of a chamber ensemble. Most pieces feature violin, flute, oboe, and percussion, which means that there are at least seven musicians playing on each piece, sometimes many more than that. Finnegans Wake's music has grown into a unique blend of dark contemporary classical music, avant-garde jazz, and progressive rock, putting it somewhere between the bleak sound world of Univers Zero and the quirky, humor-filled energy of Miriodor. And the group makes the best out of this dichotomy, alternating between dark, slightly menacing pieces and cheerful circus-like tunes, always maintaining a high level of complexity. The first disc sticks mostly to the lighter side of life, with the opener, "The Voyage of Maeldun," providing an early highlight. On "Tapioca Com Pimenta" the group briefly moves toward metal territory, bringing the first set to a hard close. Disc two is moodier and gloomier, with "Brasil, RN" and "Datcha" standing out, although there is hardly a disappointing number here, except for the rather frivolous "Bon Voyage." This album will appeal to fans of Univers Zero, early Art Zoyd, Miriodor, Rouge Ciel, Blast, and the like. Its excellent sound quality and highly skilled mixing (especially considering the number of acoustic and electric instruments involved) provide further grounds for a strong recommendation.