Andreas Gross - Autumn Inventors

My first notice concerning this disc was:yet another Echozone release for me to review!And a very good one,I might add..My second notice about it was how wonderfully titled this album is!I could say that"Autumn Inventors"almost sounds poetic to my ears.And what's more it perfectly fits as a description to the majority of the sounds exemplified within this cd.

First things first:it seems that we are dealing with a solo work here.Which is half truth:in fact there are no less than 7 musicians playing here.The overall project though is obviously led by Andreas Gross,who appears to be a multi-instrumentalist providing synths,piano and vocals as well as having composed most of the tracks for this album.Something that could be described as a personal victory for him,as I personally am more than satisfied with Gross' songs.To achieve his target,Gross mostly employes female vocals:a variety of singers present,giving a polyphonic sense to this effort,ranging from sensitive,slow voices to mesmerizing,elusive chants.The music balances itself between a handful of styles,such as post rock,indie,dark wave,electro pop,trip hop to name but a few.The connection between these states,is Andreas Gross' ability to entwine elements based on a strong emphasis on melody,as well as an ethereal,dreamlike sense of melancholy."Oberon" would serve as a prime example of these qualities,standing between soft beats and an astonishing female voice."Silent Halls" marks yet another paradigm of slow shifting harmony."1847" experiments on dual voices,setting a result that could be described as dissonance and warmth entwined."Heart Parasite" instantly stands out not only for its breathtaking piano lines but also for its subtle,eerie atmosphere as well.Apart of the ten tracks that contrive this album,4 live recordings are included as bonus.These took place on a special occasion:a birthday party gig.Luckily these don't sound alienated from the rest of this album.In a way,they could be considered as part of 'Autumn Inventors" themselves,depicting a strong presence while complimenting the album as well.If Andreas Gross' songs should be compared to a specific vibe(or sentiment,for that matter),I'd say that they remind me of sketches showing a long night ending,giving its place to a warm,bright day

And,yes,this album is something that everyone should give a decent try-they might discover emotions long forgotten.

Tracklist:

1)Shady Fortune Hunters
2)The Sun
3)Oberon
4)Ahasver
5)At The Edge
6)Black String Girl
7)Silent Halls
8)1847
9)Burning
10)Heart Parasite
11)Agnus Dei(Live)
12)Stone Thrower(Live)
13)False Prophets(Live)
14)Hail To The Employee(Live)

8/10  Isabelle S.