Review by Josh Felty
Rating: ****
To say RPWL sounds very much like one of my favorite bands, the illustrious Pink Floyd, would be a mild faux pas of a statement. Sure, this German progressive union started out as a Floyd cover band, and they're quite enamored with the sound of a phased synthesizer (but who isn't, really?) but their sound is much more broad than even the great Pink's ever has been.
This year's The Gentle Art of Music is an eclectic two-disc exploration into what makes the progressive genre so interesting. You hear blues, hard rock, punk, and industrial influences throughout; as though one took the greatest facets of popular and underground music, threw them in one of those high-octane blenders (guitars, drums, keyboards and all) and doled out a few glasses.
The opener "3 Lights" and "Crazy Lane" both channel Gilmour and Company, but more so in reverance than imitation, while tracks like "Choose What You Want to Look At" and "The Gentle Art of Swimming" evoke a very unique sound all their own. The tapestries of sound being woven by RPWL on this collection are truly something to behold, reminiscent of times when one could put on a record, sit back with a beer and a joint, and just escape to a parallel universe for an afternoon. Albums such as this almost invite you to do so, whether you intended to make it to that business luncheon or not.
And again, this is not to say RPWL doesn't have their own sound, but "Hole in the Sky" took me to The Division Bell era, while others definitely invited me to Wish You Were Here country. And furthermore, lyrical references like "set the contols for the heart of the sun" just beg to have Roger Waters or Gilmour signing cease and desist letters. That's not to say I didn't appreciate what The Gentle Art has accomplished; Floyd's sound is something that's been missing, even in some of David's solo work. The visual elements behind the aural ones are there and textured with delicate sounds of wonder (and thunder) throughout.
On the dark side of the moon, the second disc consists of some acoustic rockers and smooth grooves that further the Floyd homage even deeper, "Breathe In, Breathe Out" and "Fool" perfect examples of just the sort of musical expeditions RPWL has set upon. If you are not a fan of Pink Floyd, you'll not appreciate this or any other RPWL record. As for myself, it's plain to see what sort of impression it made to me. My only qualm is that it had me doing inner ear double-takes, as these guys (especially the vocalist) sound remarkably, if not scarily, just like The Floyd's premiere cover band.
Isn't it ironic?