I do rather enjoy a nice bit of instrumental prog, and the debut full-length album from Plini, entitled Handmade Cities (which follows on from a handful of excellent EPs), is a wonderfully constructed example of instrumental prog done very well.
Some instrumental bands inevitably wind up sounding simply like a band that’s lacking a vocalist, but that is categorically not the case with Plini, which is testament to great songwriting. Handmade Cities is adventurous, exciting and engaging, and will captivate you from start to finish with all the twists, turns and different approaches that it takes – which is arguably exactly what an album should be.
The emotion, colour and attentiveness to detail are particular highlights to the album, with each element of Handmade Cities feeling like it has been slotted into the piece in exactly the right place, and the flow as a whole is just fantastic as a result – it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into ensuring the listener is kept engaged for every second.
Although each song is awesome in its own right, one of the strongest tracks of the album is the title track, which juxtaposes chunky, heavy lines against chilled-out and more ambient approaches, and features some stunning guitar solos that are, quite simply, jaw-droppingly good.
Handmade Cities is a work of art, but to be honest I expected nothing less after enjoying Plini’s EPs so much. All in all – make sure that you don’t miss this album!
10/10
