Indian Summer

There had already been a significant change in direction between Landberk's Lonely Land and One Man Tells Another, but nothing that could have foretold the Swedish group's third and final opus, Indian Summer. Shedding its progressive rock skin, Landberk reinvented itself as a mellow alternative-cum-intelligent rock outfit. Some people will be tempted to compare this album to Pink Floyd's atmospheric rock, but it has more bite than that, it is less-polished to the bone, more elemental and emotional, hinting at Radiohead's OK Computer a year before the latter came out. These are slow songs inhabited by understated melodies, atmospheric electric guitars, and slow, thoughtful solos. The album requires some getting used to, especially if you expect something in a more overtly prog rock vein. Tracks like "Humanize," "I Wish I Had a Boat," and "Why Do I Still Sleep" reveal their beauties after repeated listens, once you cannot get their melodies out of your head. "1st of May" and "Dustgod" balance the album by bringing harder-rocking moments, although the attention to detail and mood remain unchanged. The title track closes the album with a heartbreakingly simple guitar piece. This album was cruelly overlooked because, coming out of the '90s prog rock network, it was dismissed as being too uncharacteristic by the fans and yet it was unable to reach the wider audience it was targeting. It deserved to succeed -- you deserved it. ~ Francois Couture