Badernana: Wormwood

I'm not sure why, but the name BaderNana is one that as soon as I read it, I already felt aware of. Then there's the mask next to the band/artist logo that looks remarkably like the one Prog magazine artistically drew into an illustration of Steven Wilson recently. However this mask on BaderNana goes back to 2011 when this album, Wormwood was first self released. More recently the Russian record label Mals, who would appear to specialise in scouring for unsigned acts who already have quality, underappreciated product ready for release and then giving them a second chance at catching the ear - even if the label's promotion efforts do seem rather muted - picked Wormwood up for a re-release. Whoever is talent spotting at Mals certainly seems to know their stuff though, with BaderNana being an outfit more than worthy of your time and Wormwood an album that does indeed deserve a larger audience.

Man, or band? Well I'm not quite sure, as BaderNana certainly seems to be promoted as a band, but a little further investigation discovers that actually this is one person, called simply Bader Nana, who hails from, of all places, Lebanon. Now if you'd tied me down and dribbled droplets of water from a great height on my forehead for days on end and demanded that I guess which country the Wormwood album originated from, then I'd have said the United Kingdom, or more specifically England, with most of the album relying heavily - and quite expertly - on Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief for its general basis. However add to those strong flavours Spock's Beard and Ayreon and you'll begin to get a feel for the scope and breadth of this release. For some those flavours might just be a little too strong, however while the Porcupine Tree feel is almost ever present, BaderNana do it in a fashion that is softer, gentler and with a few more Neo-Prog like keyboard sounds, leaving a warmer, more inviting tone. The Pineapple Thief likenesses are not quite so overt, however at times the song structures are very reminiscent of Bruce Soord and the boys, but again in a way that is less remote or stark, making them strangely immediate.

Conceptual in nature - Wormwood would appear to be about a journey leaving Earth for a better home, only for human nature to take over...again - a tale we've heard many times recently truth be told. With the songs flowing into one another, combining a keen ear for a melody to hard hitting themes, stunning musicianship (all courtesy of BaderNana himself) and, most importantly, genuinely interesting music. Add to that the voice of BaderNana, which suits its surroundings perfectly by having a youthful exuberance, a mature gravitas and instantly likeable, accent free, keenness and the results on Wormwood really are quite special.

The album starts well, a short atmospheric intro segueing into "Rose" where an easy strummed acoustic guitar trots along against a sharp riff, harmony vocals and plain simple thump-snap beat. It is a melodious opening, low-key, yet catchy as hell and from there the album just builds and builds until the halfway point, where everything really hits top gear. "Earth" starts slowly, relying on the captivating vocals to draw you in against seldom struck acoustic chords, sparse yet thunderous strikes of percussion and an ever growing swathe of strings. The results are quite beautiful, cajoling you to attempt to pay complete attention to what's going on while you ruin the whole effect by singing along. The song itself is a triumph and one that much more renowned prog names would be rightly proud of, but it doesn't end there. "The Plague" surges and bites with a real riff lead urgency, before the gentle, short instrumental piece "All Fall Down" lulls and soothes... Then "The Answer" hits hard with one of those warbling keyboard lines, brutalising bass thuds and powering drum barrages that The Pineapple Thief do so well. As a wake-up call to the balm for the ears that preceded it, this song is perfect. Then, not content with that "Desperate Measures" darts and slides from beat to beat, sound to sound, guitars blazing, squealing, before the thirteen minute "Destroyers Of Worlds" combines all that has come before very skilfully indeed.

Debut albums from obscure artists from musically unexpected parts of the world aren't meant to be as good as this, or as readily acceptable to Western ears. Wormwood is both, right from the first listen. However weeks of familiarity hasn't blunted that initial impact and the only thing stopping this from charting highly in my end of year thoughts is the fact it was originally released in 2011 and re-released in 2012. However don't let that put you off making this one of your best purchases of 2013!

Track Listing
1. Wormwood
2. Rose
3. Quarantine
4. Journey
5. Earth 1348
6. The Plague
7. All Fall Down
8. The Answers
9. Desperate Measures
10. Destroyer Of Worlds

Added: February 22nd 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: BaderNana BandCamp
Hits: 2106
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]