Stand by for a full load of swirly Moog-led psychedelia from the Tel Aviv-based Sababa 5 whose career trajectory continues to rise with the nine-track set of new long player, Aspan. I say ‘psychedelia’ rather than ‘psych-funk’ as the band expand their sonic palette on this one into psych-rock as well. It’s all still pretty funky though. You may have caught single Wembley, back in October which bore similarities to certain numbers by funky Zam-Rock band W.I.T.C.H. and it’s this cut that opens the album. Things get funkier on Tri Li Li and more hectic on Fa Sol La with its crazy Moog lead. The album’s centrepiece is the title track – another uptempo number followed by arguably the most psych-rock of all the tracks contained here. That would be Aeolus – apparently named after the Ancient Greek god of wind – which stretches to a borderline-proggy seven-plus minute length though it’s richly evocative composition is no hardship to endure. The hardest-edged track is probably the 170-bpm Alpis which (tempo notwithstanding) adds a smidgin of post-punk to the mix, at least in terms of the rhythm section. Finally, Indra, another track apparently named after a god (this time the Hindu god of the heavens, fact fans) brings proceedings to a close with a slightly more sedate, though no less rich, offering. Sababa 5 riding the winds of both (stylistic change) and success then.
(Out now on Batov Records)
