Enigmatic Progressive Instrumental group PLINI have always intrigued me as a music fan. They write with a blending of genres in a way that is uncommon, but always with their own twist and they do not care for labels. There are several bands in this realm out there, like OWANE, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, SCALE THE SUMMIT, and others. PLINI have always held melody in the highest regard in my opinion, and that sets them apart from some of their more experimental peers. Don’t get me wrong, their music is very exploratory, but they always find a way back to that one thing that grounds them.

In that spirit, let’s get to their latest release here titled “Mirage” which has five songs. “The Red Fox” is first. Smooth and mellow guitar tones appear first, followed by a steady melody on the keyboards. Thick bass notes come next, and that angled edge is on the way in the horizon. Throughout the song, they duck into dark, stormy passages, but always come out clean on the other side. “Five Days of Rain” also enters with soft melodies and a positive attitude that cascade into moments of pure beauty. In the spirit of the title, it must be a welcomed rain, because as a listener, you celebrate with them.

 “Still Life” has some nice Jazzy melodies mixed in with some of the weighted accents on bass and drums. Again, the song goes through a darker spell, but the way they creep it up on you, you almost don’t notice it. They also use crescendos that seem to make the music materialize in a physical form. “Aqua Vista” is a shorter song with a study backbone and plenty of free flowing and harmonious melodies. It has an outer space feeling to it for me, but of course, only the pleasant discoveries of the universe, and the way the bass plays with the leads is totally synergistic. “Ember” closes the album. Fast picked guitars combine with flawless timing in the meter that will leave you near speechless. I don’t know how they do it.

Overall, this was a lovely album with more varied melodies than you would find at a candy store. Like this analogy, each one has a different flavor and unique surprise when you taste it, and you could spend all day tasting each flavor to your delight. I am undecided on which past of the album is best…the musicianship, or the carefully crafted and bright melodies. The most magical thing is, you get to decide.