BENT KNEE: Land Animal (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

By releasing his third album "Say So", Bent Knee confirmed the originality and fresh inspiration of the sextet and took first place in the very famous ranking of the five must-see albums of 2016. Taking advantage of his period of great creative fertility, Bent Knee is back with a long-awaited fourth album, "Land Animal". During this last year the events accelerated for the members of Bent Knee, their popularity flew away at the same time as the tours followed one another. It was almost logical that a major label would get its hands on this nugget. This is done with the prestigious InsideOutMusic label.

If there is one invariant in Bent Knee it is his precious line-up, which represents more than just an addition of extremely talented musicians, it is the great strength of this collective, its condition of existence. As "Say So" had suggested, "Land Animal" operates according to associations of two or three titles with common characteristics. The beginning of "Land Animal" is rather oriented according art-rock that leaves a lot of space for Ben Levin's guitars (and in a way Chris Baum who often plays pizzicato) and rhythmic convulsions with "Terror Bird" that gives an idea of what the collaboration between Bruce Soord and Thom Yorke could have been like, "Hole" that makes you think of a Japanese Mew exalted by Courtney Swain's vocal pitches or Holy Ghost's groovy funk.

'Insides In' and 'These Hands' install the ethereal component of Bent Knee, the one that allows the group to reveal all its spiritual charge in the most subtle way in striking paroxysmal climbs. The arrangements of piano, keyboards and strings give their full scope to these compositions, which contrast sweetness and melancholy with tension and emotional intensity. The symphonic rock synthesis is embodied in the brilliant "Land Animal" and "Time Deer", both structured according to a theme of great melodic height that returns several times to structure developments of rare complexity (notably "Time Deer" which goes from brit-pop-indie to oriental frenzy in a little over four minutes).

Respecting the spirit of progressive tradition, Bent Knee refuses the corset of overly trivial schematization and explodes the performances with an unbridled and unstructured end of disc with 'The Well' with exuberant choirs, coloured by the pop 'Belly Side Up' with accents nourished by Courtney Swain's Japanese origins, or dark and electro through 'Boxes' which recalls the most hypnotic Radiohead. Already mentioned in the review of "Say So", and perhaps with more excess and sophistication for "Land Animal", Courtney Swain's vocal performances are impressive in depth and sincerity, following the tradition of the most prominent performers ranging from Kate Bush ('Holy Ghost' and 'Belly Side Up') to Bjork and her compatriot Shiina Ringo.

"Land Animal" perpetuates the ambiguity experienced by the listener by approaching an album by Bent Knee that constantly plays on the categories of frivolous and serious. The playful dimension of pop generates the first and makes it possible to immerse yourself in the seriousness and complexity of progressive rock of very high quality and originality composed by the Americans. If Bent Knee has removed the experimental tendencies and dissonances from its writing, which sometimes made it hermetic, it will nevertheless take a certain number of listenings to savour all the nuances and subtleties that "Land Animal" abounds in. The reward is worthy of the investment because Bent Knee has just given birth to the best record of his young career. - Official website

BENT KNEE

LAND ANIMAL

INSIDEOUT MUSIC

PROGRESSIVE ROCK