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Aisles: Hawaii
Aisles Hawaii CD Album Review

Aisles: Hawaii

Melodic Progressive Rock
4.5/5.0

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Presagio Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 27.07.2016

Perhaps most prog rock fans have some knowledge of and experience with Chile's Aisles. Not this guy, and that's unfortunate. Founded in 2003, band has published three albums since 2005, and now returns with their fourth long player Hawaii.

Aisles Hawaii Band Photo

Aisles

And when I say long player, I mean it. Here's two CD's and over 80 minutes of music. Prepare to settle in and enjoy, or perhaps merely split the discs into two listening experience. Either way, you will be satisfied with both ambitious creativity of this album and melodic progressive rock within.

The work has a theme, "centered on human colonies in space after the destruction of Earth, Hawaii deals with a wide range of subjects, including the dilemmas and challenges that mankind would face in that situation." All this means you should probably have the lyric sheet from the CD booklet, which I did not receive in my EPK.

As for the music, Aisles seems misplaced in time and place. They remind me of a UK neo-progressive rock band rooted in Seventies prog, yet transported to Chile in the 21st century. Echoes of Yes, Genesis, Marillion, early King Crimson, among other come to mind. Their music has a foundation in melodic rock, then finds itself infused with everything from prog rock to AOR rock, art rock to jazz fusion. Many instrumental elements weave through their tunes: gentle piano and guitar, yet brisk guitar solos also, melodic and smooth vocals and vocal arrangements, and an emphasized bass line.

Overall, the arrangements are characterized by inherent atmospheric gentleness, with the guitar, keys, and vocals lilting along like a leaf on the wind, even more so on the second CD. Some prog folk my find this a tad too soft, a tad too quiet, wanting their prog with a bit more bounce and intrigue. Admittedly, at times, I found the music so relaxing and nonintrusive that it became fleeting, disappearing around me or merely blending into my environment, much like Muzak in a shopping mall. But that doesn't dismiss the aforementioned genuine creativity and ambitiousness here. Hawaii is merely more subdued and subtle melodic progressive rock, and a fine work from Aisles.

Aisles - Club Hawaii


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The Bottom Line

Hawaii is more subdued and subtle, mostly gentle and nonintrusive, melodic progressive rock, and a fine work from Aisles.

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