Minimum Vital - Capitaines (France 2009) [ProgRock] @320

French outfit Minimum Vital is yet another example of a band that have produced a strong album in 2009. There has been quite a few of those so far. In this case we're served a delightful, beautiful blend of folk music and symphonic progressive rock. Wandering, acoustic guitar motifs and hand drums makes up most of the folk aspects of this production, with some flute soloing as an additional trait. Fluent guitar soloing and lush keyboard textures makes up most of the symphonic aspect of this excursion, with a few examples of dramatic, staccato tangent explorations and rich, multiple layered and epic soundscapes presented on occasion too.

The compositions are mostly freely flowing affairs, light and positive in mood. 
Mellow, subdued passages are blended with pacier energetic ones, and the band comes cross as experts in the art of taking a song from a low key, sparse beginning to a rich, orchestrated ending. And while most of the tracks blends the two stylistic expressions they explore, we're alos served some compositions with an emphasis on either one or the other genre.

These light, fluid ventures might not be to everybody's taste; but personally I found them to be a pleasing and intriguing experience - to be filed under positive progressive rock.


1. She Moves Through The Fair (4:12)
2. Avec Uppsala (6:43)
3. Mauresque (5:48)
4. En Terre Etrangère (4:28)
5. La Croix De Bourghi Bandô (3:30)
6. Le Chant De Gauthier (7:21)
7. En Superbô (5:24)
8. Capitaines (6:53)
9. La Route (7:08)

Jean-Baptiste Ferracci / vocals
Sonia Nedelec / vocals
Didier Ottaviani / drums, percussion
Jean-Luc Payssan / guitars, mandolin, vocals, percussion
Thierry Payssan / organ & synthesizers, vocal, percussions
Eric Rebeyrol / bass