Friday, August 10, 2018

AUTUMN BREEZE – Höstbris (Ö Records, 1979)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

Disappointed with the lack of major label interest, Autumn Breeze borrowed money to release their sole album by themselves in an edition of 500. Perhaps proper labels thought the recording sounded to unprofessional – after all, this was 1979 and the DIY ethos of progg's early days had waned. Or more precisely, it had been inherited by punk.

While obviously a private recording. the sound isn't that bad and the playing is adequate enough. (Birgitta Nilsson's vocals are a bit limited and thin but most of the album is instrumental anyway). Tobias Petterson compares parts of ”Höstbris” to Radiomöbel in his progg encyclopedia, but that's a most offensive insult. I'd much rather compare it to German band Carol of Harvest, or American progsters Third Estate.

The album has both progressive and symphonic traits without comfortably falling into either category. It has dark and dreamy qualities that are rather winsome, underlined by the simple but evocative flute playing of Gert Magnusson and Gert Nilsson's fuzz guitar that's never allowed to overpower the moody music. The synth sound used on the album is admittedly cheesy but adds a peculiar, skewed feel to the songs. ”Höstbris” isn't a top drawer progg album but it does have a certain appeal.

Full album playlist

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