| The
Review |
Karnataka's third release, "Delicate
Flame of Desire" is both a minor masterpiece of lush, majestic
progressive rock as well as apparently, an object lesson in
the difficulty of holding a band together. Checking the band's
website before starting this review I learn that the band
as it now exists retains only bassist Ian Jones from the original
lineup, with all former members "replaced," including the
incredible original voice of the group (Ian's ex?) Rachel
Jones.***
Before I ponder the implications
of such a wholesale shredding of the entire band (and the
ethics of carrying on under the same name), let me first praise
this fine, soaring effort by a band that truly hit their summit
with this one release. While I suppose the easy comparison
to make here is to Annie Haslam's Renaissance, it's unfair
to Karnataka to define them so narrowly. Much more electric-keyboard
heavy than Renaissance, Karnataka further augmented their
sound with lavish female vocal harmony and muscular lead guitar
from Paul Davies. On "Delicate Flame," the band truly clicked
completely, creating a powerful, keyboard-heavy sound creating
a wash of melody for Rachel's clear-as-a bell voice to shine
from, like sunlight off a lake. I led with the word "majestic,"
and I guess I'll stick with that as the one-word description
of Karnataka's highly polished sound as revealed on "Delicate
Flame."
The entire disc is very much a group
effort, with songwriting split between bassist Jones and the
other members, primarily Rachel and (outstanding) keyboardist
Jon Edwards. It's my distinct impression it's Edwards' compositional
and performance contribution that gives this record such impressive
heft; songs all benefit from the light touch or heavy hand
Edwards brings to bear depending on what each particular track
requires.***
But of course it's the girls who
really create the heat here. Rachel Jones is a real find,
a powerful, sharp, distinctive clear voice with magnificent
pitch and no vibrato whatsoever; the way she can melodically
turn a phrase reminds me perhaps a little of the young Grace
Slick, and the range of her voice certainly recalls Renaissance's
Annie Haslam (I don't know, however, that Rachel claims to
have five octaves at her command). Backup vocalist & flautist
Anne-Marie Helder harmonizes to sheer perfection, and (on
3 tracks) they recruit extra help from the already-rightly-famed
Heather Findlay of Mostly Autumn. Imagine Wilson Phillips
singing progressive rock if you can without getting too indignant
at my comparison; lush, beautiful, stirring are not excessive
adjectives for their solo or massed voices.***
There is truly not an ounce of
fat on this CD, however I'll confine my commentary to the
"tent-pole" tracks, the opener "Time Stands Still" and the
closer, "Heart of Stone." Lyrically, "Time Stands Still" appears
to explore the singer's return to her childhood home to try
to come to terms with the "tears and humiliation" endured
there. These are VERY powerful, haunting words, with plenty
of space for personal reflection and interpretation. Unlike
the twittering "word salad" we get from guys like Jon Anderson,
these are substantive, heartfelt emotions wrought into words,
and combined with the full-frontal vocal/band attack the track
is set in, a MAJOR STATEMENT is made early by a formidable
"new kid on the block" in Karnataka.***
Again, NO track on this CD disappoints
in any regard, and I must mention in passing "After the Rain"
and the title track "Delicate Flame" as further exhibits of
a band in full flower, both highly polished gems of composition
and performance. Other ears could easily choose these as superior
to my two favorites and I could hardly argue.***
However allow me a moment to consider
"Delicate Flame's" finale, "Heart of Stone." Here Rachel "examines
the relationship," not in a strident or waspish manner, but
rather regretfully contemplating the difficulties of boredom
and stagnation that all couples inevitably confront. Well,
this is territory we've all navigated in our own lives, and
we've all felt the conflicts our dashed romantic hopes and
expectations of how love "should" be create to either divide
or unify us. Where Rachel seems to come down is in simply
tortured resignation, "in your arms till my body cries out,
for your heart of stone.***
Musically the track is a tour-de-force,
starting mournfully, picking up in the middle and leading
up to a big synthesizer/percussion instrumental section, representing
perhaps the emotional darkness of love embittered. However,
Edward's electric harpsichord leads us back to the vocal grand
finale, a towering wail of massed female anguish & exaltation
at once, with all three girls pouring it on full throttle
without ever losing the consonance and not-a-hair-out-of-place
perfection that distinguishes the entire CD. This track just
ripped my head off, but it must be said, after the early tracks,
I was wildly predisposed to be a believer no matter how they
closed "Delicate Flame." ***
Which leads us to the present, and
the inevitable questions of what can we divine from this work
about the dynamics of the band that led to their splintering?
Well, obviously, in guitarist Paul Davies and keyboardist
Jon Edwards you clearly have MAJOR talents obliged in this
setting to subordinate their ambitions to the Joneses. Regardless
of whether or not Rachel & Ian were a couple (and I think
they were, but don't know for sure), keeping talent like Davies
& Edwards "in line" is not going to be a realistic possibility.
Add to that the tension created by "Sonny & Cher" (forgive
the comparison) splitting up and inevitably slopping some
of their hostility onto the rest of the band, and well, the
supernova was just unavoidable. Let me be quick to add that
this is ALL just speculation on my part. However, as I say,
no one is still in the band now save bassist Ian…***
Now I note with grim amusement
that while the Karnataka web page does offer news & links
to the old members' new bands, Rachel is totally persona non
grata; unfortunate, but I suppose understandable. The tragedy
is, of course, that most likely NONE of their future projects
will ever equal what they accomplished together on "Delicate
Flame of Desire." Let's hope Rachel re-emerges to enchant
us all with her silvery voice again, and let's hope that Ian's
new "Karnataka" doesn't disgrace the name. Or better yet,
let's try not to worry so much about it, and just enjoy the
magical, once-in-a-lifetime charm of "Delicate Flame" and
be grateful that it came together for our enjoyment.
GRADE: A
|
