Fruupp
Future Legends

I know what you're thinking. They could have chosen a decent name. Or at least not this tasteless onomatopoeia that so reminds us of our most intimate efforts. But I ask you not to be distracted by the flatulent thoughts buzzing in your head and instead focus on the exquisite mosaic cover. Definitely more in line with the dreamlike atmospheres that this group manages to evoke.

Have you exorcized all preconceptions now? Good, because Fruupp undoubtedly deserves your attention. The band formed in the early seventies, in a Belfast ravaged by unrest, under the guidance of guitarist Vince McCusker. The music they offer abstracts and dissociates from that desolate climate of tension, to find refuge in a fanciful romantic universe, where it is the sensitivity of these artists that dominates the scene.   
Their music is a symphonic prog, with relaxed tones and strong pastoral hues, which however does not disdain some electric forays and more rustic instrumental passages, even if never truly aggressive. A compact and choral sound, that avoids unnecessary frills, in which each instrument finds its own dimension. “Future Legends” is the band's debut album and most likely remains their most accomplished work. Despite the naivety typical of debuts, evident especially in the arrangements and in the recording marked by the relentless passage of time, the album contains excellent ideas and bears witness to an effervescent creative vein and a refined harmonic sense. Many have associated “Future Legends” with Genesis's “Nursery Cryme,” and the comparison indeed fits, although I also believe it is right to emphasize that Fruupp has a well-defined identity of their own. Even the lyrics match the musical proposal and narrate stories told to a priest by a wandering fellow diner. A sort of concept album, in a nutshell.

The work opens with a brief homonymous neoclassical overture, which contrasts with a laconic and choral epilogue of the same title. In between flow streams of pure melody. Starting with the gritty “Decision” and its jazzy undertone, continuing with “As Day Breaks with Dawn” and its soul suspended between rock exuberance and delicate emotional watercolors. The following “Graveyard Epistle” also plays on the same contrasts, enhanced by an exotic central section dominated by the evolutions of an oboe. The legends proceed smoothly, with the epic “Lord of the Incubus” and the delicate bucolic airs of “Olde Tyme Future”, leading up to the concluding “Song for a Thought”. And never has a thought been more inspired, along these grooves. A hypnotic journey that accompanies us to the final crescendo, characterized by an eruption of symphonisms. This is not the prog that gazes at itself. No duels between unmatched virtuosos. Nor a desperate search for elusive innovation.

With this album, Fruupp teaches us that when imagination guides our actions, we can also expect surprising results.