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.
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