Although the modern Italian prog scene is largely populated by bands inspired by the country's symphonic forerunners from the seventies', it is also home to a number of unique groups that don't worship at the altar of Premiata Forneria Marconi and Le Orme. Karmamoi is one such band, and their spacey, eclectic, and occasionally heavy take on the genre makes for one of Italy's more original exports in recent years. The band's sophomore outing, 2013's Odd Trip, features some truly fresh ideas and impressive musicianship, and while not flawless, it's a strong outing from start to finish.
Stylistically, Odd Trip often sounds somewhere between accessible Floydian space rock and riff-based hard rock. Karmamoi incorporates a wide array of sounds into their music, and this can be heard on the funky-sounding "Yours" and the surreally atmospheric "If I Think of the Sea" (both of which stand tall as highlights). Generally speaking, I feel that Karmamoi are their most successful when they play softer and more atmospheric-sounding songs; though the execution is flawless across the board, the rock-oriented tracks rarely make my blood boil as much as "Lost Days" or the aforementioned "If I Think of the Sea".
Odd Trip's songwriting may not always excite me, but the strong musicianship and obvious desire to innovate still make for a recommendable album from Karmamoi. Fans of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and Riverside shouldn't have trouble liking this!
Track Listing:
1. Oxygen 1 (Interlude )
2. If
3. Labyrinth
4. If I Think of the Sea
5. Oxygen 2 (Interlude)
6. Samvega
7. Yours
8. Odd Trip
9. Oxygen 3 (Interlude)
10. 5+
11. Lost Days
12. Aria
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