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▓█▌▐█▌  ▓▀    ▀▀ ▓▀   ▀▓    ▀▀▀    ██▓ ██ ▀▀               ▀  █▌       ▓ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀ ░▓█▓░ ▀█▄                ▓▐█▀▀                      ░▓█▓░ ░█▓░░  ▓                      ▓        ▓░▓█░  ░▓▄█████▄░   ▄ ▄  ▓▄██████▄░  ░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓ ▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀ ███  ████▀    ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄   ▀████   ██  ██   ▀██▄▐▄  ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌   ▐█▓  ░▓▄   ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀   ▄▀      ▓░▓▄███   ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀  ▀███▄ ▓▓        ▄██▀▓   ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■   ░▀███░       ▓███▓     ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌     ░███▓      ███▌░  ▀ ▀ ███▓    ▐██▀ ▀███░   ██▌  Artist...: 9 Skies ░▐██▌  ░▐██   Album....: 5.20  ░██▌░ ▓▐██   Year.....: 2021  ▓▐██▓ ▓▐██   Rel. Date: 2022-01-06  ░▐██▓  ▐██   Genre....: Progressive Rock   ██▌░ ░ ██▌  Label....: Anesthetize Productions   ██▌    ▐██  Source...: CD  ▐██    ░▐██▌ Type.....: Retail ▐██▌░  ▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint 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Colourblind 6:02 2. Wilderness 6:04 3. Beauty of Decay 2:14 4. Golden Drops 4:39 5. Above the Tide 4:16 6. Dear Mind 3:26 7. The Old Man in the Snow 5:37 8. Godless Land 3:31 9. Porcelain Hill 4:01 10. Achristas 4:51 11. Smiling Stars 6:19 51:00 NINE SKIES is this recent band known in a small room at the end of a road from which you never come back. NINE SKIES is the French progressive rock group inspired by rock, pop, progressive, jazz, maybe neo-prog on the MARILLION, some titles of GENESIS. Inviting some big names from the prog world, they come to surprise by the singular musical orientation peculiar to themselves; this latest baby is a nod to their often late bassist (that's it). 5.20 is an unplugged record, or almost, with string quartet and composed from A to Z by Anne- Claire. An unclassifiable album where we are going to dive, sink. "Colourblind" begins with a duet of voices, acoustic guitar, tambourine, jazzy gypsy atmosphere, Lilian's cello, distant voice of Achraf well placed which declines a most pleasant imaginary life, appearance of the spleen sax of Laurent accompanying this digression of strings , a nice appetizer for a pleasant and inventive unplugged sound. "Wilderness" on an "A Trick of The Tail" variation, soft tempo, AliΘnor using her voice well and responding with measure on acoustic folk; break with the appearance of Steve HACKETT (and his guitar) with a sound to melt, between melancholy and intimate air, a star that remains anchored in our ears. "Beauty of Decay" continues with an instrumental acoustic guitar interlude where simplicity and purity prevail, leading to introspection. "Golden Drops" arrives, reminds me of an arid break from GAZPACHO, impressing emotion and collection; the drum sets the rhythm; Arabizing air, Ashraf's voice that really adds something to this group; the notes seem to unravel, it sets off on a diabolical, intoxicating, mysterious and austere battle of stringed instruments; one more. "Above the Tide" for the most majestic track, there is MOODY BLUES in it, bombastic and intimate, yet another musical oxymoron; existence of a progressive creative latency, the choir voices bring goosebumps, the symphonic strings in a magical crescendo fly away and join this crow quoted in the text; another great moment. "Dear Mind" for another instrumental where two guitars and a piano come to take the la in this musical cafΘ, invitation to a melancholic bucolic journey of all beauty, to meditate without doubting this turning point in life. "The Old Man in the Snow" for the departure towards an orchestral universe; Breton folk rhyme in the tradition of a GENESIS bell, the contribution of the raw acoustic guitar is surprising, the voice is just sublime, narrating, taunting the instruments; John HACKETT's flute plunges the C into a nostalgic musical space. "Godless Land" for a primary LAZULI aria, archaic, full of emotion, but what Ashraf sings divinely; a little waltz of "Love is All" in touch and then it goes up with a duet of guitar and voice, fortunately because the lyrics are very dark, a reflection of a pandemic, of a disease and of saving words, a cathartic sign surely. "Porcelain Hill" for the album slap; Damian WILSON pushes strings on a composition while crescendo, releasing an atmosphere serene, melancholic, nostalgic, filled with hope; well he's taken by ARENA but hearing him here is a must, his voice taking all the usable air to vibrate even more. "Achristas" and the last instrumental, dark, chilling piano, ideal for contemplation, to come on an intimate film soundtrack like "Delicatessen". "Smiling Stars" for the final clap, piano and voice, drawing on that of Steve HOGARTH; the basic rhyme goes up, the sax coming slowly to graft itself to the intimate melody directing you towards the end just towards SUPERTRAMP; it's sweet and addicting, it's confusing and latent. NINE SKIES is releasing this romantic spleen album to make us think about this pandemic, a record to take on yourself and listen to alone, far from everything to recharge your batteries; I don't know what little-big Alexandre did about it, but I can feel his vibes that he exudes in his personal albums. An unplugged, underground acoustic opus far from musical dictates, throwing dark, nostalgic atmospheres leading to meditation and hope. In a few notes, you have in front of you a fresh and dark record, elaborate and complex, ideal in fact. --- First of all, I look back and realize that "5.20" is again one of those albums that can already inspire from the outside. The wonderful cover art by Michael Cheval makes the anticipation of the musical content noticeably greater. But the real highlight is of course the music itself. And if you look at the cast list, you'll be amazed: a nonet. Nine musicians play as a permanent part of the formation and are additionally supported by well-known guests like Steve Hackett, John Hackett and Damian Wilson in the right places. So many musicians also create a mighty loud sound, one might think. But the best thing about Nine Skies new album is that gentle prog in perfection is offered here. Acoustic guitars, violins, cello, saxophone, piano, percussion and muted drums, among others, form the musical core of "5.20". Without a doubt, the band succeeds in making all the instruments sound within a differentiated sound. The strengths of the group lie on the one hand in the songwriting itself, which surprises in many places and above all convinces, and on the other hand in the mood, which is built up and embellished over eleven tracks. The listener is taken from the beginning into the music of "Nine Skies" garnished with warm sounds and dives little by little into deeper and deeper realms, which is quite an exceptionally beautiful prog experience, not least because of many strong melodies. It may sound strange, but that's exactly how I felt after the first listen. Really! Nine Skies live on their third album a unique synthesis of prog, rock, pop and jazz, which is to be discovered. And there would be so much more to say. So just listen to it yourself and let your ears be spoiled by the extraordinary nonet called "Nine Skies". --- French progressive rock collective NINE SKIES have been weaving their rock, jazz, classical and progressive influences for several years now ? combining their acoustic instrumentation with deep and poignant, poetic lyrics. Their well-received 2017 debut Returning Home looked at a range of different characters from modern city life. Their second album, Sweetheart Grips, released in late 2019, was a dense, complex and often heart-breaking exploration of the experience of a young soldier in the Second World War and especially the tragedy of PTSD. Their latest release, 5.20, is still recognisably Nine Skies, but more introspective and delicate overall, and I feel this could well be their best album so far. They retain the plaintive, melancholic vocals and lyrical content. However, the music is almost completely acoustic in nature on this occasion and yet has a layered depth, complexity and richness, with intertwining acoustic guitar and piano augmented by strings, flute, saxophone and rhythmic percussion. The musical journey is beautiful, yet challenging - dark and mournful, yet hopeful and uplifting as well. It demands your full attention, but you are fully rewarded by that commitment. Guest appearances by Steve and John Hackett and Damian Wilson are perfectly pitched and help create an excellent, contemporary and intimate exploration of the human condition ? looking at life, death, faith, struggle, suffering, despair and finally hope. The shadow of the current pandemic somehow seems to be etched on the music, without the need to reference it overtly. Opening track Colourblind starts with smooth acoustic guitar and accompanying bass, with AliΘnor and Achraf duetting beautifully on the yearning, poetic lyrics as the contrast between our dreams and reality is considered "I created a dream, A beautiful scene, Coloured balloons in the air, While my being's here." Simple piano motifs, cello and violin build up the tempo, before a jazzy saxophone from Laurent and jagged acoustic guitar, layered over the strings, brings the song to its conclusion. For many, Wilderness, will be amongst their favourite tracks, not least because it is probably the most melodic and approachable. Lovely, Genesis-style guitar rhythms propel the song over recurring piano patterns. Despite the dark, emotive lyrics, the presence of Steve Hackett and a soaring electric solo over fretless bass, couple with a swaying percussive beat creates a lightening of the mood and that recurring sense of hope from the melancholic sadness. Beauty of Decay is a very appealing acoustic/classical guitar piece which provides a shaft of light, before a disturbing, hypnotic beat opens Golden Drops. The ominous warning to hold onto your dreams despite your fears. "Cover your eyes, Cover your ears, Keep your golden drops, Dreaming hopes." A prayer-like vocal mixes with a swirling Arabian feel, gives a dislocated feel and sense of unease. Above the Tide once again uses symphonic-like strings with piano to great effect, and these link well with the multi- layered vocals which almost overwhelm and swallow you emotionally, with the repetition of the main chorus; "Listen to the sea, The weeping sarcasm, Of a thousand smiles, Arise from the foam." Only the final acoustic guitar passage brings a calm to the dark swell. Dear Mind is the second instrumental, driven initially by the guitar, but unlike the light of Beauty of Decay, we now have the disturbing shade, with the piano joining in and creating contrasting melodies as the tempo rises before the violin hints at a resolution of sorts. John Hackett's wonderful, trademark, swirling flute concludes The Old Man in the Snow, where chiming guitar lines counter the lyrics pleading to the lonely protagonist to overcome his despair and 'tough it out'; "You have to be strong enough, To withstand the tears. You have to be tough." Ashraf's vocals are especially compelling on Godless Land, as he sings of losing faith against all that confronts us. A snippet of demonic waltz adds to the unreal atmosphere, with piano and guitar locked together as if in a dance towards the end. An undoubted highlight is Damian Wilson's presence on Porcelain Hill and it is possibly the most accessible of all the album's tracks. He sings as well as I have heard him do so for some time and he expresses the wistful, poignant, weariness of the lyrics as his vocals mingle beautifully with firstly the piano, and then the soothing strings. It has the most memorable chorus ("Porcelain hill, is made of my heart, Melted by a hundred nights, Carved out of a thousand dreams, Smoke and mirrors") and again there is that hint of hope and light to cling onto. A beautiful song - at around 4 minutes in length ? it is just too short! The third instrumental, Achristas is a dark, unsettling, yet contemplative piano piece that sets up the final track, Smiling Stars perfectly. An elegiac song of mourning and personal loss with all the acoustic instrumentation (including saxophone) and the vocal layering of the album, coming together in a heart-breaking manner and yet with maybe enough light and promise hinted at by the end, with: "When I look at the sky, I can see your eyes. When I stare at the stars, I don't see any goodbye, A thousand of smiling stars, smiling stars." As someone who has recently lost his father, thankfully to old age, rather than the pandemic, it is a tough, cathartic and yet beautiful conclusion to a strong and thoughtful album. I asked lyricist and keyboardist, Anne-Claire about the album recently, and she was keen to emphasise that whilst it is was not a concept album like the first two, it is very poetic and has common themes and feelings that run through the whole album. "Achraf (on vocals and guitar) joined the band at the end of the last year and his influences brought a lot to this album. His voice matches well with AliΘnor's voice and he composes too ? along with Alex and Eric. Steve Hackett's solo is just amazing. His brother, John, recorded a track with Eric for an album by Howard Sinclair and then agreed to play for us when we were looking for a flute. "I loved Damian Wilson's incredible voice and feeling on Porcelain Hill? he really loved the lyrics and the song immediately and it was a wonderful experience for me as well. As I am still French when I am writing lyrics? he just changed two or three words to be better 'English', but I have to say that I was so happy that he likes my lyrics so much! This song, and I would say the whole album, is very metaphorical and even if I wrote with my own vision, everyone can create their own vision and interpretation." Nine Skies have produced a complex, challenging and yet beautiful album that is truly progressive and produces a power and depth at odds with the mainly acoustic approach. All the band combine wonderfully with the strings and guest musicians. The darkness of Anne-Claire's powerful, poetic lyrics recounting struggles and despair at this time cannot fully shut out the uplifting vision they also point to, and the need for us all to somehow carry on. I recommend reading the lyrics as you listen, as the French accent does make the occasional word unclear and they are too good to let any of them become lost. Finishing on a lighter note, I asked Anne-Claire if there was a symbolic, mystical meaning behind the 5.20 title? "Our bassist Bernard is ALWAYS late? but I mean always! I think he was born late! When he went to the Prog en Beauce festival it was a long journey. We told him that if he was late we would leave without him. We scared him so much that he was the first one to leave at 5.20 am! It was so miraculous that we promised him to call the next album 5.20 as a result!"                                  ▀▀░                                                                                                                ░▄▀                                  ▄█▀                                             ░▄           ░▐███░               ▀█░▄▄▄                    ▄░       ▀█░░                      ░           ▀▀░                                         ▄  ░                                          ▄     █          ▀                 ▄              ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄         ▀░▀     ▄         ▀                ▀░▀   ▀         ▀▀████████▀░                   ▀ ▄      ░                      ░░       ░▀██▀                    ▀██▄                ▄               ▐     ░      ░  █▀▄    ▐▓▓▌   █                    ▄   ▄▄       ░                    ▄▄▌█  ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ▄                      ▄ ▀   ████      ░                   ▐███▌  ░ ░                  ▄██▀     ▄▄██▄▄           ░           ▄▄███▄▄ ▄  ▓                         ▐▓▓▌  ░   ▓████▄        ▀          ▀    ▓█████▓  ▀ ▄                           ▀▓▓▓▄▄   ▐▓███ ▌                       ▌█████      ▀██▄   ▄                ░▄  ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓                ▓▐ ▌█▓███       ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀           █    █  ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████    ▄▄▓▓▓▀                            ▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀  ▄░ ░            ▄▄▄░      ▓     ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓     █               █████      ▐▄░   ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓░   ▄         ▐▓    █▓███░    ▓▐█░▄▄  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████    ▄██▄ ▀ ▄      █▌    █████▓   ██▀█▀▀   ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█   ▐█▓██▓   ▀██▄ ▀██▀   █████▓░    ▓█▌    ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████   ▐████▌    ▐▓▓▌▓█▌   ▄█▓███▄░     ▐█▄▓  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███   ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀  █▓  ████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓████▌░ ▄▄   ▄▄█▄▄ ██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     █████  ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████ █░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████ ▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓ ▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓ ███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████ ▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓ ▓████████▓ ▓██████▓ ▓████▓