Although not symphonic cosmetically, there’s something quite ancient and traditional about the structure of “Astra Lucia Omnia Ultra Verum,” the closing rocker in Vuola’s new record Alouv, and it influences the way we’re made to view the conclusion of the tracklist. While there are progressive elements throughout the whole of Alouv, it’s this song that feels the most poetically centered, as if to bring us into the end of a story much as we began it – with a bang. There’s a diverse array of quality musical components at work in this EP, and together they create a picture of an artist in Vuola I want to know more about.
“Laugh Vivid Often Adore Unity” is by far the most cut and dry piece in this record, but its soothing western folk-rock doesn’t feel out of place next to the crushing feel of the other material here. I can tell that Vuola has a classic rock complex that he’s staving off very dexterously in this performance, mostly through rhythm and harmony, but he still comes across with an iconic glow significantly more authentic in spirit than what I’ve heard from similar acts over the past few years.
“Omnia Omala Ogana Odati Ojoda” comes in two versions here, the standard record cut and the “Bronze Age” version that delves into outright experimental ambiance not long after the second act commences, and I think both are a good illustration of Vuola’s ambitions within the studio setting. He’s not satisfied doing the same thing over and over, even in the context of making an album or an EP like this one, and his desire to be a little grittier with tone and texture is something that I believe he’s going to get a lot of accolades for as his career progresses.
There’s a radio sensibility to “Under Above Orion Venus Loves” that initially seemed a little off given its grandiose arrangement, but it makes sense considering how powerful a harmony Vuola is able to produce near the climax of the song. It’s a nice transition away from the imposing gloom of “Vapaa Uljas Onnen Lapsi Aamun,” itself a powerful tone-setter for the start of the record, and it definitely helps to create a new mood that will blossom into something even more enveloping by the time we reach the latter track “Laugh Vivid Often Adore Unity.”
Good things tend to come in small packages, but this is rarely true in progressive music. The fact that Vuola can do as much as he does inside of these five songs and a bonus track is really exciting for me as a critic, and even with his rebellious qualities taken into account, he’s got a focused edge over his competition that I’m eager to see him put to use in the studio once more. Alouv is the perfect introduction to who this artist is, and hopefully just a small glimpse into the future of his discography as it will develop over the course of a few albums.
Chadwick Easton