A Way out (Unifaun, 2008)

Same old question: should we like bands like Unifaun that explicitly revive classic prog bands' style? Well, the answer is simple to me: yes, if they know how to write good songs and to play them. This is the case with Swedish duo Unifaun, whose only album to date include some very good and very Genesis oriented songs. This Swedish duo includes singer and multi-instrumentalist Nad Sylvan of Steve Hackett live band fame and keyboardist Christian Thordin, AKA Bonamici. 

Above: the dark original 2008 cover art. Below: the Genesis-oriented 2023 reissue painting.

Their self-titled album features many musical solutions related to the ex Charterhouse pupils, but with a distinctive nordic and slightly folk taste I appreciate. The track I choose here is a prog ballad full of dreamy passages and based on really good melodies. The overall effect is mostly similar to Genesis' "Selling England by The Pound" era. Is this a good reason to despise such a song? I don't think so, but let me know your opinions.

Quest for The Last Virtue (Unifaun, 2008)

Among the huge number of Genesis influenced albums, Unifaun's self named CD still is one of my favourite ones. And in particular, this epic, the longest track in the collection, gathers in its 15 minutes or so of duration many features I love: acoustic and electric instruments merged in a liquid sound, beautiful melodies, instrumental bridges and effective, sensitive vocals.

The Swedish duo Unifaun. I wonder who their tailor is...

These are provided by Nad Sylvan, the singer that Steve Hackett hired for his long series of Genesis revival shows. But the man behind this project actually is Don Bonamici, the composer and keyboard player whose keen love for Genesis shines in this track in all its glory. His "Entangled-like" solo sounds like a clone and still is beautiful, while the subsequent "Earl of Mar-like" chords are another kick inside my stomach. OK, that isn't new, but these musicians really enjoy what they're playing. And so do I.