Nurkostam: III of Dreamers

The Finnish band has had a busy 2009, having released III of Dreamers and putting the finishing touches on another. III of Dreamers continues in a similar vein to their last album XIII, which is also reviewed on this site.

Clearly, Nurkostam owes much of their repertoire to the early 1970s space explorations of bands like Pink Floyd. Nurkostam also reveal Crimsonian elements, especially when their angular approach to songwriting is revealed. Many of these songs have a slower tempo incorporating a nice balance of acoustic and electric guitars. Much of the spaciness contained within is due to the heavy reliance of keyboards and effects that takes the listener back in time to those glorious 70s. This music also takes on a dreamy quality and is at times quite pretty with many nice melodies entering the fold.

The album opens with "Overture", a song enveloped in dense keyboard sounds, deep guttural guitar chords and a slightly off kilter melody. Fans of early 70s space rock should like this one. "The Camel Song" is a slower number with a slightly somber melody, sparse bass drumming and slow rhythmic strumming. Lush orchestrations enter periodically contrasting nicely with the sparse guitar and drums. "Ocean" is a short art rock number featuring soft keys and subtle acoustic guitar making for a pleasant listen.

One of the album's best tunes is the dreamlike "Dike" where gentle acoustic strumming and keyboard orchestrations give the song a spacey feel recalling early Pink Floyd, especially the acoustic guitar sounds. The angular guitar picking in "Anon" adds a Crimsonesque touch to what is another strong song. The gentle spacey keys mixes well with acoustic guitar and the serene vocals heighten the effect.

Overall, this is another fine effort from Nurkostam. Fans of spacey music with a definite nod to the 70s should especially like this. I look forward to hearing their next offering C, which may already be released as I type this.

Track Listing:
1. Overture (3:09)
2. The Camel Song (8:28)
3. Ocean (2:34)
4. Almost Famous (6:16)
5. Dike (6:09)
6. Anon (8:26)

Added: January 10th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 2787
Language: english

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