With 12, the latest instalment of Focus musical catalogue arriving, it was interesting to see and hear what the band at band forefront of the progressive music movement since 1969, is bringing to the genre in 2024.
Focus – 12 (Spirit Of Unicorn Music)
Release Date: 5 July 2024
Words: Adrian Stonley
It is realistic to say that all the usual ingredients of a Focus album are contained within. The sweeping keyboards, the jazzy drumming, the soaring guitar work and the occasional burst of flute provide a cocktail of all elements that make Focus the consummate and professional long-lasting band that they are.
Interestingly, the album features a completely improvised piece, which was recorded as it spontaneously occurred during the recording process in the studio.
Just one take, no overdubs. This shines through and gives the music a rougher more vital edge, yet captures the whole essence of the musical development of the piece and the ability to write music free form.
Focus are a band of two very distinctive parts with the old school. Thijs Van Leer and Pierre Van Der Linden are both the wrong side of seventy years of age, whereas Bassist Udo Pannekeet and guitarist Menno Gootjes are from a younger generation.
Despite this age gap it is interesting when listening to this album to see how the approach to the production of the album is expanded by the younger band members, who themselves have contributed two compositions.
This is clearly a combined and developed performance with the younger ideas engaging and flourishing alongside the experienced ideas of Thijs and Pierre.
“How beautiful life can be when a band plays so easily and so together,” Thijs said, and this can clearly be heard in the way the compositions are engaged with and developed.
In typical Focus style, this is an entirely instrumental album.
Are there any surprises here? Well no. From the first note of the opening track, Fjord Focus (I love the pun in the title), this is clearly a Focus album. They know what they do, and they still, after all these years, do it well. So why change a winning formula?
All Aboard is a combination of all things prog with some serious guitar riffing and fretwork from Menno Goetjes, combined with a swathe of musical embellishment provided on keys and flute by Thijs and a powerhouse of a bass line from Udo.
The way this piece fades out is indicative that it has the potential in the live environment to be expanded considerably and could certainly rival older classic pieces such as Eruption.
Born To Be You is a short, gentle, wistful solo piano interlude. Nura follows on from it in a similar style with the keyboards to the fore. Thijs Van Leer plays in an almost church organ style before opening up into a full band piece with guitars to the fore before the melody is brought into play by Thijs on flute.
Yet as you get comfortable with the softer approach, Menno rips up a storm on the guitar. Again, like All Aboard, the guitar fade promises more in the live environment.
Bowie is another short virtuoso piano piece that is in keeping with Born To You, although it has added jazz-style flourishes to the playing.
Gaia closes out the album in traditional Focus fashion, with each member showing the quality of their musicianship and expanding the ideas developed elsewhere in the album.
Focus remains here for the long term and, despite the years, are still very much on top of their game. This is a band that is musically as relevant now as they have ever been.
This is as valid piece of work as any in their long repertoire.
Focus 12 will be available on CD, Vinyl, and all good streaming services and can be pre-ordered from here.
