Review Summary: Aisles delivered a fine work. A promising debut from this Chilean modern band.
“The Yearning” is the debut studio album of Aisles and was released in 2005. The line up on the album is Sebastian Vergara, German Vergara, Luis Vergara, Alejandro Melendez and Rodrigo Sepulveda.
As I mentioned in some other occasions, prog rock music was a phenomenon that appeared in the UK in the end of the 60’s, but that had many ramifications in many other countries, mostly in Europe and North America. But it also was spread in some South American countries, like Chile. The most famous and probably best Chilean progressive rock band in the 70’s was Los Jaivas. Los Jaivas was responsible for some great albums, especially “Alturas De Machu Picchu”, which is considered a masterpiece and one of the best works released in Latin America. But, even today, the progressive rock music is still alive and kicking in Chile. There’s another name that stands out in Chile, Aisles.
Aisles is a prog rock band that was formed in Santiago, Chile, in the year of 2001. The three brothers Vergara founded the band in the tradition of “The Old School Of The South American Prog”. After having released five highly acclaimed studio albums, Aisles have become one of South America’s most important progressive rock bands of the past two decades. Their intricate melodies and sonic openness combine with a daring combination of rock, fusion, jazz and world music. All this creates a very powerful and unique type of music and sound, that illustrates the band’s uniquely eclectic musical approach. In 2003, the band produced a demo with the goal of publishing their music. Having achieved such a high quality of sound and powerful compositions, they decided to use it as their first album, “The Yearning”.
“The Yearning” sonorous landscapes are perfectly dominated by a melancholic and emotive air, where the melody and long instrumental developments cover all the near path of the neo-prog style. You can hear nice melodies, not only that boring constant soloing we heard from almost all the bands nowadays. Varied, melodic and melancholic sounds are served. This 57 minute album is predominantly composed of calm, gentle and lyrical tones, which are occasionally characterized by changes in rhythm. The guitars and keyboard instruments are in the foreground as solo instruments, which can also be joined by harder tones at short notice. The slightly accented English language vocals are quite good for me. Overall, the seven compositions with two long tracks of 11 and 17 minutes are presented in their own style.
Opening the album, “The Wharf That Holds His Vessel” has quite an epic feel and updates the neo-prog sound that the British bands of the 80’s were doing. It goes through numerous changes. Lyrics, and therefore, vocals are in English and are of a rather more literate nature than many prog rock bands usually do. “Uncertain Lights” is mostly an acoustic based song and it’s also the shortest track on the album. Sebastian tends to sing in a quite reflective manner, which suits the rather melancholic nature of the words, that also fits very well with the music. “Clouds Motion” starts with some lovely harmonies that display the tightness of the band. It has such a full sound that reminds me of many modern British neo-prog bands. Still, it comes off as an original sounding track in the genre. “The Rise Of The White Sun” is a light track with nice vocal work. Here, things take a more positive vibe with its opening pianos and vocals. Although, this may still sound also rather gloomy, it all works very well. “The Shrill Voice” is a bit of a strange track, very patchy. This is probably the most progressive sounding track on the album and feels very epic. It has some spoken word part then returns back to that sound they started off with. I like it. “The Scarce Light Birth” has an orchestral opening, but continues in much the same way, doesn’t deviate from the formula that is evident throughout the whole album. It has a great mood with excellent singing. The final track, “Grey”, is divided into three parts, “The Yearning”, “Unit Land” and “Path Of Gleams”, and drifts along quite nicely. It pretty much sums up the overall sound of the album. It goes through various moods, from an epic orchestral to somber acoustical with some moodiness. This is a great closer to the album.
Conclusion: Overall, “The Yearning” is an impressive debut with a very polished sound. For me, “The Yearning” is a fine work, which is suitable for the relaxed moments in the life of someone interested in neo-prog music. It’s especially indicated for those who like music with a more mellow air. Aisles are certainly worth checking out via their impressive work. Even the small epics like “The Wharf That Holds His Vessel” and “Grey” are unusually discreet, unfolding their themes with welcome delicateness. These longer tracks aren’t always successful at tying their many pieces together, but they show promise. On the other hand, some of the band’s shorter songs are nicely tailored. Some prog rock fans might find “The Yearning” a bit too light, but it reveals strong songwriting skills. The melody is quite good and the music arrangements that form the song are quite neat. This is a refreshing album in the context of current neo-prog.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
