Band:	Kaipa
Album:	In The Wake Of Evolution
Style:	Progressive rock
Release date:	March 12, 2010
Guest review by:	qlacs

01. In The Wake Of Evolution
02. In The Heart Of Her Own Magic Field
03. Electric Power Water Notes
04. Folkia's First Decision
05. The Words Are Like Leaves
06. Arcs Of Sound
07. Smoke From A Secret Source
08. The Seven Oceans Of Our Mind

When I first heard this record back six years ago, I was absolutely blown away by it. That was my first experience with progressive rock, and it had a profound effect on me and I never felt bad that I missed out on this genre entirely up to that point, as this was quite possibly the best introduction I could ever had. A couple of years have passed and I have not really touched this ever since; how would In The Wake Of Evolution stack up after my musical taste significantly evolved?

What immediately hit me back then was this vibe that (as I later found out) is present somewhat on nearly all of Kaipa's albums; if you've never heard it I think it's pretty much impossible to accurately describe it, but their album covers, song titles and the words "fabled," "adventurous," "magical" and "full of love" might help. The first song and title track itself is a prime representation of this both lyrically and musically, and just like years ago, even today I had a hard time not jumping back immediately to the start as it ended. The next couple of songs are also successful at keeping the musical quality high: the longest song, "Electric Power Water Notes," although it feels a bit drawn-out as it gets closer to its ending, still manages to draw memorable moments and keep my interest. However, at some point a scarcity of new ideas kicks in and the songs start to grow repetitive. From here it is only the vocal performances of both Aleena Gibson and Patrik Lundström that keep me from stopping the record mid-air.

My choice of the low point is "Arcs Of Sound"; even though it starts a nice buildup from the middle, the song still disappointed me to a great extent by failing to properly finish. It keeps on this trend up to the closer "The Seven Oceans Of Our Mind," which again retains the group's creativity and genius songwriting. "Glowing" is great but balance is still required to keep the magic together... they seemed to put their sound ahead of the songwriting, and it didn't go so well. Some might find them enjoyable but I have a feeling of lack and boredom every time compared to the rest of the record.

Reading this it might feel as if a good third of the album is completely dispensable, and I might agree. But the vibe Kaipa represents is woven through all the songs, reflected through the excellent production and the sound if nothing else. I have to mention that the rhythm department really does wonders; both the bass and the drums find just the right grooves to supplement the melodies by the keyboards of Hans Lundin and the guitars of Per Nilsson. For all of the above (ha!), I recommend this record to everybody.