We’ve been championing Russian prog sensation Egor Lappo for some while now, and after a few listens to his new album Abandoned Corners, I can’t see that situation changing as the man continues to mix silky ear-worms with death defyingly adept musicianship and massive song writing smarts.
On the debit side, this album sounds a little more ‘bedroom’ on the production side as compared to his last two offerings… but that’s about it as far as nit picking is concerned. Lappo is a genuinely talented songwriter and arranger, and he proves that time and again on Abandoned Corners.
This isn’t as metal as previous Lappo offerings – you have to wait until midway though third track New Lines before any noticeable metal influence creeps in, with our hero preferring to continue his ongoing love with what’s best described as a sort of old prog/nu pop hybrid.
I couldn’t care less about this ‘demetalling’, quite frankly, because our Egor absolutely excels in this field. New Lines itself is an absolutely sumptuous piece of work, melding Elefante-era Kansas, post-Genesis Steve Hackett and Steven Wilson into an irresistible mashup that’s going to be a staple on the Strickmann death deck for a long, long time to come.
Last of Her Kind is a stately synthpop strutter, all bubbling parps and belches mixed with one of Lappo’s best vocals yet, and it’s around this time that, if you’ve been an Egor fan for as long as we have, you start to realise that he’s really blossoming and finding himself as an artist on this record. And that really is a wonderful thing to behold and be part of as a listener.
If there was any justice in the world – and yes, before you start to chirp I know there isn’t – songs like the pure beguilement of Move On would be on the radio on heavy rotation in lieu of the latest monstrosity from Harry Styles, thus affording Lappo the time and resources to fully realise his musical dreams. That’s not going to happen of course, but I really think you should take a little time to examine this new album if you like any of the names I’ve mentioned by way of comparison. You won’t be disappointed, I promise – and you might just come across your new fave pop progger in the process…
Abandoned Corners is out now.
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