WLUD - Carrycroch
WLUD - Second
I used to think WLUD was just some sort of weird capitalization thing, but apparently it’s the first letter of the last name of all four musicians. Anyway the quartet represent that weird and wonderful late 70s/early 80s range of French independent progressive rock when so many countries and regions had long stopped producing it, in fact it’s usually only in the progressive rock underground where you’ll come across names like Shylock, Carpe Diem, Arachnoid, Step Ahead, Laura etc. WLUD are minor, at least in comparison to 3 or 4 of those names, creating a style of music well above the musicians’ innate talents, something that can often be quite charming. The drummer, in particular, makes me chuckle out loud, hitting accents microseconds off and generally sounding like an amateur, imitation Bill Bruford. In some ways, the late 70s was the era of the micromoog and other single oscillator synthesizers, a sound that makes many late 70s French and Spanish progressives tinny and dated, often made worse by generic string synths. Fortunately there’s not too much of the latter on either album, but the synths, like everything else, the production, drums, guitars etc, are a little thin. Musically it’s straight symphonic progressive, although I can imagine this would fall under symphonic fusion for the nonjazzers. Yes, Genesis and likely Ange and Atoll act as the looming influences, but WLUD are barely up to snuff when it comes to any of those bands’ professionality. But, like I mentioned before, there’s a naivete and charm to all of this, that coupled with the desolate environment for the styles, ends up impressing to some extent. Nowadays you’d be less conspicuous wearing a Starfleet uniform and saying “Live Long and Prosper.” (I moved both 7s to 9s, although I’d give a hair to the second.