Review: Esthesis – Watching Worlds Collide

Style: Progressive Rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief
Review by: Christopher
Country: France
Release date: 19 August, 2022

Prog is something of a byword for creativity, and yet I find most modern progressive rock groups rather derivative and lacklustre; mere Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Yes knock-offs, or a bit of Porcupine Tree worship among the more modern pretenders. It’s odd that progressive metal is such a diverse and energetic genre when prog rock seems to be languishing in a prison of nostalgia. O’ where are the innovative prog rock bands of yesteryear? 

Watching Worlds Collide is the second release from Esthesis, a French progressive rock group founded by multi-instrumentalist Aurélien Goude. Stylistically, they owe a debt to Porcupine Tree (think In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet) and The Pineapple Thief but suffuse this sound with a booster needle full of jazz. Goude acts as primary composer and singer, and, while his soft vocal delivery is nothing new to a genre that thrives on unflashy singers, his French lilt gives a je ne sais quoi which adds to the already dreamy quality of the music. The band are all proficient players who contribute some rather tasty work to each song, but the most impressive thing about Esthesis is their synchrony; every single musical choice feels perfectly measured, part of a smorgasbord of complementary flavours. 

The utilisation of other instruments outside of the usual band standards is done to great effect. Piano has a large role on this album, a horn section embellishes most of the tracks, we also hear from violin, and are even treated to a few instances of whistling. All of these additions are tastefully interspersed for maximum effect. The sax is one of the most vital additions, infusing the generally Wilson-inspired foundation with a sensual shot of Steely Dan style yacht rock. Indeed, a jazz influence simmers throughout Watching Worlds Collide, present in the chord choices, the phrasing of certain passages, the faint whiff of funk in the rather tasty basslines and, of course, in the prodigious use of horns throughout. It has the added bonus of preventing the stereotypical melancholy of most prog rock from obtaining a stranglehold on the record’s overall sound. 

The most satisfying aspect of this release is the variation; the little flourishes of creativity that differentiate otherwise identical musical sections: an electronic thrum, the addition of female backing vocals for a single phrase, a descending piano lick. That might not sound radical but it enlivens the compositions that little bit more, and one gets the impression that Esthesis had good fun recording this; it’s certainly fun to listen to. We’re treated to noirish sax work on “Through My Lens”, redolent of murky alleys and French ennui; thicker metal-adjacent riffs on “Place Your Bets”, cinematic strings on “Amber” and much more. All of the compositional choices demonstrate a great deal of thought and taste; melody oozes from every instrument and every song flows with pleasing naturality. 

I’m loath to dole out any negative comments about this album because I admire it so much, but there are criticisms to be had. The worship of the genre’s big hitters that plagues a lot of prog rock is present here, though in a lower concentration than is common. The vocals, as I mentioned earlier, aren’t a radical departure from the genre’s standard, and some tracks which tow the generic prog rock line simply shine less brightly than others, but for the most part Watching Worlds Collide is too busy impressing you with all its virtues for any of these issues to really detract from the brilliance.

Are Esthesis the innovative answer to the problem of modern prog rock’s sterility? Perhaps not yet, but while they might not be the radical reinvention the genre craves, they provide an impressive and deeply satisfying twist on the established formula, and all of the necessary creativity and talent is here in order to create something truly original in the future. Watching Worlds Collide is a beautifully crafted, rewarding and eminently listenable work of modern progressive rock and you should go listen to it now.

Recommended tracks: Place Your Bets, Amber, Through Your Lens
You may also like: Smalltape, Hyco, Vault, Playgrounded
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Misty Tones

Esthesis is:
– Aurélien Goude (vocals, keyboards and other assorted contributions)
– Baptiste Desmares (lead guitar)
– Marc Anguill (bass)
– Arnaud Nicolau (drums)