▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Kayak ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Seventeen █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-05-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: InsideOut Music ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ The sensation of discovering a new music has █ █ always a fulfilling one for me. Whether it was THE █ █ BEATLES, THE EAGLES, IRON MAIDEN, OASIS, PRINCE or █ █ TAYLOR SWIFT, many of use formerly defined our █ █ musical tastes based on our personal explorations █ █ of the musical landscape during the wild █ █ high-school years, and they seemingly hard-wired █ █ into our personalities. Sometimes our minds bind █ █ us to the music we heard as teenagers more tightly █ █ than anything weÆll hear as adults, and IÆve done █ █ my best to avoid such stereotypes and to keep █ █ exploring and curating as much new music as I █ █ possibly can. Oftentimes through a journey like █ █ that I have tripped myself over an album that I █ █ pressed play on û like in a mechanical sort of way █ █ û, and before the last note of the record is over █ █ I know I will buy that vinyl. And the █ █ soon-to-be-released album from KAYAK is one of █ █ those records. █ █ I must confess my sins: I was completely █ █ unfamiliar with KAYAK prior to listening to █ █ ôSeventeenö. For those of you sharing my ignorance █ █ about them, hereÆs a brief rundown: KAYAK is a █ █ Dutch band, originating from the early seventies. █ █ The band began as a symphonic progressive rock act █ █ with an emphasis in songwriting, but from 1977 on █ █ they changed direction moving into crossover █ █ territories. KAYAK achieved tremendous success █ █ from the late 70Æs onwards, cracking the US top 50 █ █ charts with the single æWant You to Be MineÆ in █ █ 1978, holding number #1 in the Dutch charts for █ █ several weeks with the Platinum awarded ôPhantom █ █ Of The Nightö album, which was released in 1979 █ █ and included the hit single æRuthless QueenÆ. █ █ Disbanding in 1982 after nine studio albums, they █ █ reformed in 1999, with Ton Scherpenzeel as the █ █ carrier of the torch, the writer, keyboardist and █ █ all-rounder reviving the name and assembling a █ █ fresh line-up, after a three-year break brought on █ █ by sudden departures and preceded by the passing █ █ of drummer and band founder Pim Koopman in 2009. █ █ Singer Bart Schwertmann, and guitarist Marcel █ █ Singor completed a trio that started the recording █ █ sessions of ôSeventeenö, with by former NEAL MORSE █ █ BAND/AFECTOR drummer Collin Leijenaar and ex-PAIN █ █ OF SALVATION bassist Kristoffer Gildenl÷w (Who as █ █ you may have already guessed is Daniel Gildenl÷wæs █ █ brother) joining the ranks when the album was █ █ nearly to be completed. Guesting on the █ █ instrumental æRipples on The WaterÆ is CAMELæs █ █ Andy Latimer. █ █ KAYAKæs sound on ôSeventeenö does not align only █ █ with progressive-rock, but shares an AOR side █ █ which emphasizes big, melodic as well as anthemic █ █ gestures and focuses on the song as such, spiced █ █ it up with all sorts of progressive elements to █ █ make even the most sophisticated tracks sound █ █ entirely fresh. Think of the very early ASIA, or █ █ the more progressive side of QUEEN. Between cheeky █ █ rockers, insightful ballads and small art-rock █ █ cabinet pieces, blended with bombastic █ █ arrangements and extended instrumental prog-rock █ █ swagger, ôSeventeenö flows through your ears █ █ smoothly, blurring the genres lines with a █ █ softness that sometimes is sort of dreamlike, and █ █ turning the listening experience into an emotional █ █ ride between excellent brio and blissfully █ █ mind-blown. Straight pompous anthems like the █ █ album opener æSomebodyÆ or the energetic █ █ hard-rocking æFeathers and TarÆ juxtapose with █ █ long and opulent yet infectious progressive-rock █ █ tracks like æLa PeregrinaÆ or æWalk through FireÆ, █ █ both combining an impressive array of atmospheric █ █ moment, ethereal keyboards, synergic choruses and █ █ impeccable musicianship, with the hooks hitting █ █ the mark straight through and lingering in your █ █ memory for days. Ballads like the piano-laden █ █ æFallingÆ or the acoustic guitar infused æRipples █ █ on the WaterÆ glide softly, adding depth, █ █ sentiment and a magical aura to the album seamless █ █ unabridged beauty. █ █ A dazzling and sterling union of 70Æs classic █ █ rock, progressive arrangements and █ █ straight-forward, catchy rock with uplifting █ █ musicianship and powerful vocals, ôSeventeenö is a █ █ gorgeously melodic and well-constructed album with █ █ an outstanding array of keyboards, choruses and █ █ guitar interplay which will have you singing █ █ alongside the pristine sound quality of the music. █ █ The KAYAK boat has miraculously resurfaced and █ █ navigates over successful waters. HereÆs to a long █ █ a fruitful sailing. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Somebody 3:03 ░ ░ 2. La Peregrina (She Wanders Alone) 11:42 ░ ░ 3. Falling 3:08 ░ ░ 4. Feathers and Tar 3:14 ░ ░ 5. Walk Through Fire 10:23 ░ ░ 6. Ripples on the Water 3:40 ░ ░ 7. All That I Want 3:47 ░ ░ 8. X Marks the Spot 1:58 ░ ░ 9. God on Our Side 3:30 ░ ░ 10. Love Sail Away 3:12 ░ ░ 11. Cracks 8:50 ░ ░ 12. To an End 3:31 ░ ░ 59:58 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░