Moon Safari

[2Timer]

I think it's more mature songwriting...or something (on the new album.
Blomljud has a very surreal feel to it, almost like you're listening to a fairy tale at times. But that's the album that made me fall in love with their music.

[Öxölklöfför]

Just discovered this band. Great stuff! Makes you happy:-)

[rogerdil]

Just discovered this band. Great stuff! Makes you happy:-)

Awesome.  They are indeed great.

(Please index this thread)

[Jaq]

This thread made me check out this band. My god they're amazing. Listening to Blomljud right now. 

(edit)Jesus, those HARMONIES. Fantastic vocals.

[ich bin besser]

Btw, the main guy from Flaming Row (Martin Schnella) just published his cover version of "Constant Bloom": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8UlaxrRZIw

 

[ZKX-2099]

I downloaded Blomljud months ago... still haven't listened to it.

Blaming Deconstruction for that...

[Jaq]

I downloaded Blomljud months ago... still haven't listened to it.

Blaming Deconstruction for that...

Listen to it. NOW. You won't regret it

[2Timer]

Seconded. Lover's End is awesome too, especially A Kid Called Panic.

[Jaq]

Just finished A Doorway Into Summer. My god this band is brilliant. BRILLIANT.

Add Lover's End to the list. Loved it too, albeit a bit less than the first two. Have to say that Blomljud might very well be my favorite progressive rock CD of the past decade, it needs a few more listens though before I'm prepared to admit that. I can see where the vocals might put some off, they're so...I dunno, bright and sunny...but for me the harmonies are the best part, they're glorious. I love this band.

[2Timer]

Lover's End takes a long time to really open up. When it does, though...

Maybe this thread would be a good spot to tell about my live experience with them, when I have more time.

[Jaq]

Lover's End takes a long time to really open up. When it does, though...

Maybe this thread would be a good spot to tell about my live experience with them, when I have more time.

Opened up for me on my third play of it today. A Kid Called Panic is sheer genius. I still like Blomljud better-Other Half of the Sky, Bluebells, and Methuselah's Children are fantastic tracks-but Lover's End is getting to be really good to me. And I can't stop playing A Sun Of Your Own off Doorway, either. That song just grabs me every time I listen to that album. Moon Safari is the only band I've listened to this weekend. Really amazing band.

[rogerdil]

A Sun Of Your Own is fantastic.

[2Timer]

Lover's End takes a long time to really open up. When it does, though...

Maybe this thread would be a good spot to tell about my live experience with them, when I have more time.

Opened up for me on my third play of it today. A Kid Called Panic is sheer genius. I still like Blomljud better-Other Half of the Sky, Bluebells, and Methuselah's Children are fantastic tracks-but Lover's End is getting to be really good to me. And I can't stop playing A Sun Of Your Own off Doorway, either. That song just grabs me every time I listen to that album. Moon Safari is the only band I've listened to this weekend. Really amazing band.

It sounds like your favorite tracks are the same as mine. The acapella section of Bluebells is ridiculous! I know what you mean about Blomljud; it was the first album I heard, so it's always going to have a special place in my heart, and yeah, OHOTS...stunning musically and lyrically. Again, wait for me to post the story of the show I saw them play (they played that track live!!!).

[Jaq]

I would give body parts-possibly even my own-to see Moon Safari live. Their CDs are literally the ONLY music I've played since my first comment on this thread on Friday. I truly love this band 

[darkshade]

I decided to check these guys out and I'm listening to Blomljud for the first time right now. I wish I got this album during the summer, as it's got that feel. Oh well, it's still 80 degrees by me so it'll all work out. Very happy music, like Yes, but even better.

[2Timer]

Okay, I'll try to make time for me live story right now.
First, they played at Rosfest in Gettysburg, PA, which is about 1 1/2 hours from my house. How cool  was that?
We got there late, and a band called Tinyfish was playing. Really good stuff, ended up buying their cd and getting to meet them.
Moon Safari hit the stage at exactly 9 pm, and it should be said that it was Tobias' (the drummer) birthday. The announcer was trying to introduce them, and didn't even get to, because we all broke out singing Happy Birthday as loudly as we could. You should have seen his smile. This was their setlist (mostly in this order, but probably not exact):
Moonwalk
Lover's End Pt.1
A Kid Called Panic
Dance Across the Ocean
Yasgur's Farm
The World's Best Dreamers
New York City Summergirl, which started with a gorgeous cover of Springsteen's Jungle Land and blended in.
Heartland
Other Half of the Sky

encores:
Doorway
Constant Bloom

Guys, everything sounded exactly like the cd, and their voices were absolutely unbelievable, in their solos as well the harmonies. The sound was great, too, but I wished Simon's mic would have been a little higher in the mix.
I didn't know how much of the crowd knew who MS were, but regardless of that, they got an amazing reception; it was a sit-down show in a small theater, but every single song got a standing ovation. The entire crowd was blown away, and I knew they made a lot of new fans that night. I couldn't have been happier for them.
Afterward, there was a meet and greet, which was free. First at the table was Petter Sandstrom, who writes most of their stuff. I asked him a question, and in answering he just went on and on and on, like he either didn't notice the 30 people behind me or just didn't care. Great guy. Then came Simon Akesson, the main composer and the one who arranges all the harmonies. He was a bit quieter, but still very cool. When we got to Johan Westerlund, bass, I told him I had spoken with him on Facebook and through email. He asked me my name, and I said Brandon, and then he knew who I was and already knew my last name. I was pretty tickled about that. I got to talk to Pontus, the guitar player for a while, and he was pretty cool too.  Actually, I was the one doing most of the talking with these guys due to being so excited to meet my favorite group, but they all seemed very understanding and they were all very gracious. The only part that wasn't great was that there was an afterparty, and I didn't understand that it was actually part of the show and everyone was welcome; I thought that was something private, so we didn't go. I later found out from Johan that I could have gone, and he said he wished we would have, because 'there was singing, swimming, and beer'. So I missed my chance to hang out and party with the greatest band in the world, but I got to see them, hear a phenomenal two hour set, and talk to them quite a bit.
Rosfest was a very cool thing to go to, and I hope they book Moon Safari as the headliner again next year.
Definitely the most memorable night of my year.

[Jaq]

Sounds awesome. I was wondering if they could pull off the harmonies live, great to hear they could.

Seeing them live is definitely on my list of Things I Will Do Someday.

[Heretic]

Listening to Blomljud right now, and it's absolutely fantastic. Perhaps one of the greatest things I've ever listened to, the atmosphere is just alive and wonderful.

I'm pretty sure this will hit top 20 album status. It's literally so good, I don't even know what to do right now but just smile and enjoy this awesomeness. The vocal harmonies and the melodies = <3  Everything's like, perfectly arranged and everything.

[darkshade]

I'm on my third listen in 24 hours (which is rare for me), and it's still blowing my mind, especially the genius vocal harmonies. I don't usually care about vocals as long as the music is good; unless the vocals are horrible. So you know this is awesome. The instrumentation is amazing as well. On of the best prog albums of the last 5 years.

[Jaq]

I'm still on my Moon Safari kick, and for the past couple of days Lover's End has really gotten the lion's share of the plays. It's really the perfect follow up to Blomljud in so many ways; after an album about nature and the general feel of spring and summer in the music, Lover's End is an album about love falling apart and cities and fall and winter, but with a little hope at the heart of it all. As a result, it's more modern sounding than Blomljud, which really had an analog, 70s feeling to it. Lover's End sounds like a city album, and complements the more pastoral sounds of Blomljud perfectly.

My sister, who listens to a lot of prog rock when we go places together, was wondering about this new band I've been listening to and asked me to describe them. After a few moments, I came up with this: "It's what would have happened if Brian Wilson had formed Yes."

[toro]

Seconded. Lover's End is awesome too, especially A Kid Called Panic.

Fuck yes, that's one of my favorite songs ever.

[2Timer]

I'm still on my Moon Safari kick, and for the past couple of days Lover's End has really gotten the lion's share of the plays. It's really the perfect follow up to Blomljud in so many ways; after an album about nature and the general feel of spring and summer in the music, Lover's End is an album about love falling apart and cities and fall and winter, but with a little hope at the heart of it all. As a result, it's more modern sounding than Blomljud, which really had an analog, 70s feeling to it. Lover's End sounds like a city album, and complements the more pastoral sounds of Blomljud perfectly.

That was the most intelligent, accurate description of LE I've heard yet. And when you mentioned the 70s...well, to me, everything that was a hit in the 70s was mainly because of a killer melody, which I really don't think any bands provide that strong of a melody in their music anymore. That's what I love the most about MS is their melodies. If you hear any of their songs, you're whistling it for the rest of the day. They're almost too good to be true. Make sure your sister hears them.

[ich bin besser]

The new live 2-CD from RoSfest 2011 is out now, it's called "The Gettysburg Address". Got my signed copy yesterday, listened to it for the first time today - and it's GREAT! Awesome production and performance. Just to let you know. 
Available here, for example: https://www.therecordlabel.net/progressive-rock/moon-safari/the-gettysburg-address/

[2Timer]

Mine is on its way. They actually used a fans pic of the theater for the album cover. How cool is that?
I did preview the album, and the quality sounds amazing. Tell me, did Doorway and Constant Bloom make the disc?

[Jaq]

Definitely interested in getting this. As I'm typing this I'm listening to A Kid Called Panic for roughly the 1000th time, after spending the last couple of days playing Other Half Of The Sky at least once a day. I love the hell out of Moon Safari.

[ich bin besser]

Tell me, did Doorway and Constant Bloom make the disc?

Nope.

[2Timer]

Definitely interested in getting this. As I'm typing this I'm listening to A Kid Called Panic for roughly the 1000th time, after spending the last couple of days playing Other Half Of The Sky at least once a day. I love the hell out of Moon Safari.

You should have been there to hear both of those songs live. I knew they would sound great, but I wasn't prepared for just how great they were. Like I said before, this was a sit-down concert, and every song got a long standing ovation.

Tell me, did Doorway and Constant Bloom make the disc?

Nope.

Shit! I wonder if there wasn't enough room on the disc.

[ariich]

Got into these guys recently thanks to LLTWM sending me a song in my roulette. Absolutely love Lovers End, and really dig Blomjud as well. Haven't listened to the first album yet.

[Jaq]

Moon Safari's first album, sadly, is merely...really good. 

Joking aside, A Doorway to Summer is a really good album, but Blomljud is brilliant (one of my favorite progressive rock albums ever) and Lover's End is just behind it in terms of goodness. Doorway definitely gets overshadowed by those two for me, although A Sun of Your Own is one of my favorite Moon Safari tracks. If you like the other two, you'll like Doorway.

[2Timer]

Moon Safari's first album, sadly, is merely...really good. 

Joking aside, A Doorway to Summer is a really good album, but Blomljud is brilliant (one of my favorite progressive rock albums ever) and Lover's End is just behind it in terms of goodness. Doorway definitely gets overshadowed by those two for me, although A Sun of Your Own is one of my favorite Moon Safari tracks. If you like the other two, you'll like Doorway.

Well put. I was going to use the word overshadowed as well, but you beat me to it. If Blomljud is your first MS experience, let your love for it fizzle out before you pick up Doorway. It's just not as flashy, but it is their first effort.
That being said, there is a lot of beauty in it; there is a little recurring theme throughout it, and We Spin the World is incredible. Very Beatles-ish at times. A Sun of Your Own is great too, I agree, and Beyond the Door has one of the most gorgeous piano pieces I've ever heard as its intro.

[rogerdil]

Poppycock. First album is great.

[Jaq]

Never said it wasn't, it's just up against a prog rock album that I'd rank highly in my all time prog rock albums in Blomljud and my retroactive favorite album of 2010 in Lover's End. Doorway is a brilliant album, it just has the misfortune to followed by a masterpiece and a damn good album. Overshadowed fits it perfectly.

[2Timer]

Right. But it you really listen, it does make some promises about the band that they would more than live up to.
By the way, ariich, which song was in your roulette? I'm curious to know which song hooked you. For me it was Methuselah's Children when Veronica sent it in track of the day.

[wasp2020]

I started listening to Moon Safari 2 years ago, and I haven't been able to stop. My first song was Constant Bloom, posted on this very board somewhere. It was like a dizzying kaleidoscope of melody lines that gave my ears an orgasm. Then I listened to Ghost of Flowers Past. Then all of Blomljud.

Moon Safari feels like music that was made personally for me. It gets everything right according to all my tastes and preferences, the porridge that's just right. It reminded me of when I first listened to Queen, or Images and Words...it's just so bright, so melodic, yet so complex. The melodies are strong enough to lift a mountain. They're not afraid at all to go overboard with the most tastiest sweetest melodies and progressions there are, as long as it works. I feel a lot of bands always try and either downplay their melodic aspect, probably so as not to sound too "cheesy", or it won't fit the genre... or maybe they just can't write it. The harmonies are rich and layered and like a big comfy bed. You don't get vocal harmonies like these just anywhere, you really have to dig around. The actual writing and song arrangements and structures are brilliant, how they reuse themes in the right ways at the right times (Other Half of the Sky, so clever), and they are also great at writing odd-time sections that sound totally natural.  They're also talented at their instruments. I'd kill to talk to them, Simon about his piano playing and vocal arranging and singing, and Pontus about his guitar playing (such a great ear for the right solos).

The production is unusually outstanding, crisp enough to hear all the different things going on in total clarity. The singing is my favourite, soaring strong clear tenors, Simon is up there with my favourites now, but Petter is good as well. I mean, a lot of prog singing is great, but it's a nice change from Roine Stolt/Neal Morse/the dozen super-british neoprog vocalists. I love the lyrics as well, introspective, love, fantasy, hope, but reality, escapism, cynicism, and negativity here and there as well. Moon Safari is not some bubblegum pop put to prog. Lover's End of course does this the most.

So yeah, I think you can tell by this glorifying post how much I love them. LE is definitely more "power pop", I guess, much more modern even in it's production, chimier, more high end. It reminds me of christmas at times, winter, or a cold wet night in the city streets. Blomljud is a folksy masterpiece of prog, top 3 for me,  like summer and spring, better than both Doorway (great album) and LE. I can't wait for whatever else they have in store, apparently most of the material for the next one is msostly written. I know they're doing a collaboration album with Syd as well on the side, hope that turns out okay.

[darkshade]

Blomljud is a masterpiece. It's the kind of album that can take you from a sad place in your mind, to a very happy place. Unless you're really, really depressed, this album can brighten your day more than the sun.