My Brother The Wind: I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity (2011)

Swedish quartet MY BROTHER THE WIND appeared unexpectedly a few years back with their self-titled debut album, a constellation of well established musicians that seemingly out of the blue had decided to form a side project rather different in sound from what they explored in their primary projects. It was a creation well received, and many will eagerly have awaited their second production. "I Wash My Soul In The Stream Of Infinity" is their sophomore album, and was released by Swedish label Transubstans Records in the fall of 2011.

My Brother The Wind is one of many bands exploring instrumental improvised progressive rock, made with an approach and sound that place it within the space rock genre. Floating, often ethereal arrangements, gentle guitar soloing and layered, wandering psychedelic oriented instrumental motifs make up the majority of such excursions , and this foursome is no exception to that.

Opening or concluding with passages featuring arrangements of a more searching and uncertain nature is a part of the package one gets too, and again a feature found on this production. Perhaps a bit too many such sequences, at least for those not already fond of this type of music. It dos take something of a trained ear to appreciate these moments. But it's when the band have found a direction and is exploring it with direction in hand that improvised space rock is an intriguing experience, and this quartet are top of the trade once they have established a pattern to investigate.

The rhythm department is the essential foundation for most bands of this ilk, and My Btother The Wind has a most excellent one. Tight, finely interwoven bass and drums motifs that shift pace and intensity in a fluid manner a strength the other instrumentalists can rely upon. And they do so in an impeccable manner, from the tight, energetic and driven landscapes explored on opening construction "Fire" Fire" to the raga-oriented themes of Pagan Moonbeam, complete with a Bo Hansson oriented organ motif, and the final gentle concluding title track "I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity". Always nicely moving onwards, with a dual set of guitars or guitar and one additional instrument wandering through an initial phase fully formed or not, coming through on the other side either finishing off a journey or reorienting themselves to take on a new one. Personally I found the band to be at their very best on "Torbjörn Abelli" on this occasion, an improvisation I presume was developed as their musical tribute to the late Swedish bassist of the same name who passed away in 2010. Rather fitting that this construction is the one that made a most profound impression I guess.

I doubt if My Brother The Wind will recruit any new fans to the realms of improvised space rock with this production, as their excursions this time around to my ears appear as somewhat more typical of the genre than on their most excellent debut. But those who already enjoy music of this type can note down this CD as another must have creation, the band is excellent and their ideas and improvisations maintain a high quality throughout.

My rating: 83/100


Track list:
1. Fire! Fire!! 13:07
2. Pagan Moonbeam 3:47
3. The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart 5:40
4. Torbjörn Abelli 10:57
5. Under Crimson Skies 10:33
6. I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity 6:19