V2/Bertus kindly made this CD available to me.

So here it is, the new album from the Dutch band Lesoir. Push Back the Horizon is pop rock / prog rock. Released on 20 September 2024. My review of the album Mosaic is available here.

On their new album, Lesoir is about community, sisterhood, brotherhood and relationships. And things aren't always harmonious. This is noticeable in the music, which is somewhere between calm and stirring. Ingo Dassen (guitar, synth, beats programming) composed all of the music on the album. Maartje Meessen (vocals, piano, flute) is responsible for the singing and is therefore in very good hands. Eleën Bartholomeus (guitar, backing vocals), Bob Van Heumen (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Ingo Jetten (bass, pedal steel, guitar, backing vocals) complete Lesoir.

First of all: In my opinion, Lesoir is moving more towards poppy prog/art rock. It is always recognizable as Lesoir and the mix has enough to offer even for average prog heads. Despite all the technical clarity, this album also needs several listens to it before it really comes into its own. The instrumental “Aeon” in particular is a feast at 6:02 minutes. The opener “Push back the Horizon” starts off poppy but then moves on to more art rock progressive sounds. “Under the Stars” is pop, however, pleasant but boring. And it sounds a bit muddy in studio headphones (via CD), but not on Spotify. “Fireflies” is again in my ears with its dynamics. Varied, lively, good. In the quieter song “You are the World”, Martje’s beautiful voice is in our ears. I am torn, only the singing keeps me going here. “The Drawer” is one of the strongest songs for me. What starts quietly with spoken vocals builds up to progressive, almost metal spheres with bass, drums and guitar. Very strong in its emotionality. "Aeon" takes a little time to free itself from the pleasant ambient/art rock and then becomes really good! And I'm not a real fan of instrumentals. The mix is ​​what makes it here. "Nadi", on the other hand, moves towards pop again. Nice. "What do you want from me?" is Lesoir again, the way I like them! Highlight in 03:10. "As Long As Your Girls Smile" and "Why I Stand Here Now" round off the album. Thumbs up again.

"Lesoir doesn't make prog" and that's true. Lesoir combines post-rock, art rock and progressive rock and has his own style. It's sometimes pleasant, sometimes loud and then quiet again. And so Lesoir has managed to create an album that is entertaining without drifting into pathetic pop or intellectual prog. Recommended tracks are "Aeon", "What do you Want from Me" and "The Drawer".

The CD quality is high and the cover is well designed. This album is also available on vinyl.
Lesoirmusic.com

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.