Crea (another Swedish newcomer)

Prog Head

Member
CREA is a four-piece act hailed from Linkoping, Sweden. The line-up includes: Peter Gren (guitars, E-bow & lead singing), Nicke Bjerke (bass), Sonny Johansson (drums / percussion), Anders Karlsson (keyboards & b/ vocals). In early 2019 these collaborators present a debut CD 'Dwarves & Penguins' to demonstrate their assimilation of various musical strains and show song-writing skills. :cool: Now I am just going to describe as many as I can. The set begins with adventurous track ‘The Marsch Of Penguins’ full of instrumental meanderings. In some respects, this spectacular jam is reminiscent of Gamalon (to my ears, at least). After such an attention-grabbing opener, the things switch into mellow ‘Some Of Us’ to feature very characteristic neoprog atmosphere. Whilst the vocal delivery might be comparable with Martin Wilson (Grey Lady Down), the guitar passages share a kinship with elegance of Steve Rothery (Marillion). Besides, the keyboard courtesy, convincing bass and precise drums are prominent in the mix. Oddly enough, the next cut ‘Shattered Vision’ has a musical structure evoking memories of the British new wave. The similarities to Duran Duran and OMD are detectable, but the common approach isn’t a real carbon copy. The follower ‘Second Thoughts’ hangs close to Simple Minds territory. The diversity fest continues with ‘Millenium’ which segues into a ballad-like palette. Next up, stunning ‘The Marsch Of The Dwarves’ that displays the band’s orchestral wealth. The gorgeous chapter ‘Walk Into Bright Lights’ sounds like it would be a lost GLD jewel. It perfectly combines the powerful aspects and the fragile elements. The entire album reaches its ending with ‘Barbarossa’, fluctuating from hypnotic echoes of Ontofield to soft melodicism a’la Tears For Fears. This composition twins and turns, staying intriguing all the way through. Yet again (as always before), delectable guitar performance is heard at the right places. To sum, I'd say that 'Dwarves & Penguins' is a good debut CD with plenty of interesting moments. Once you unpack and then actively listen for each component woven into the fabric of this offer, additional details appear and overall appreciation grows. So folks… Just take some time to discover another Swedish newcomer and appreciate their debut release. It may not be the most innovating work. But who cares, indeed? :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2LX4almARU

Crea.jpg
 
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Prog Head

Member
A short update. Crea had reached a distribution agreement with the subdivision of Sony Music (Sound Pollution) which will include the re-issuing of their first digipack. A very rare occurance for any combo who just arrives on the prog scene. :cool:
 
John Watt

John Watt

Member
I was listening, thinking it started off really nice, nice tones, some original musical styles,
but as it went on I started to wonder why the guitar had such a clean, almost too treble or compressed sound.
But then the singer sang about wondering about this world and wanting to be beautiful at the end,
and I got into it. When the band went into the instrumental part, I could see how the guitar tone was set up,
so when it got heavy with more distortion it really sounded good.

However, seeing that these Swedish boys are singing in English, I have to comment on that.
Their name, "Crea" doesn't say anything in English, and the album is called "Some of Us".
Now, if I don't know what Crea is, how can I imagine who some of us are?
If I was their English translator or manager, I would recommend this.
Call the band Create or Creator, or if you want to get hip-hop wit'it, Creatz.
I wouldn't be hip-hop with it, but it's always good to have an idea to reject right away.
I'd call the album "Some of Us Lose", which is S.O.U.L. as initials, and it fits in with their Some of Us lyrics.

I have to name-drop. The lead singer and guitarist is credited with using an E-bow.
I was crashing over in Toronto at a friends house, Ron Sexsmith, and he had a gig one night.
He was opening for Suzanne Vega and her husband, Mitchell Froom and his musical partner Tchad Blake were there.
They just got back from producing Cheryl Crow in California and Sting in England before that.
I was just laying back minding my own business, listening to them make long distance phone calls,
using the pay phone on the wall, when Tchad said he was going out for a cigarette, illegal to smoke inside.
I asked if I could go out with him and he said right on.
As he lit up I asked about his E-bow, saying that's what I think it is but it can't be, because it works so nice.
He showed it to me, saying it was an E-bow, but he paid a jeweler $20,000 to make it more high tech.

Sony must like these guys if they're giving them the full treatment.
Will they make it as big as Ace of Base, my favorite Swedish band?
 
John Watt

John Watt

Member
I don't agree with this review. He talks about Marillon more than Crea.
And then he puts down his own four out of five saying he can't give 3.75...
His only big commendation is the guitar player because he reminded him of the guitar player in Marillon.
I was surprised to find out Crea has been around since 1988.
Progressive or not, that makes them a very real and successful band for me.
No... more than just being a band, these men are true musical friends.

And all you have to do is compare this review to what Prog Head said at the start of this thread,
and I'm thinking the reviewer didn't really listen to the album or didn't listen to all of it,
because Prog Head says more than ten times as much.

A Cree native visited me this weekend, coming back for a guitar lesson as a friend.
That's as close to Crea as I can get from here in the Niagara Peninsula.
 
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Prog Head

Member
John Watt said:
I don't agree with this review. He talks about Marillon more than Crea.
And then he puts down his own four out of five saying he can't give 3.75...
His only big commendation is the guitar player because he reminded him of the guitar player in Marillon.
I was surprised to find out Crea has been around since 1988.
Progressive or not, that makes them a very real and successful band for me.
No... more than just being a band, these men are true musical friends.

And all you have to do is compare this review to what Prog Head said at the start of this thread,
and I'm thinking the reviewer didn't really listen to the album or didn't listen to all of it,
because Prog Head says more than ten times as much.

A Cree native visited me this weekend, coming back for a guitar lesson as a friend.
That's as close to Crea as I can get from here in the Niagara Peninsula.
Click to expand...

Thank you John Watt for both comments on a Crea thread. :cool: Although we have to remember that different people use to have different opinions. :)
 
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John Watt

John Watt

Member
yes... you're right about different opinions because such a thing does exist.
But for me, that's like discussing sheet music when the notes are written down in front of you.
It's not like being in any kind of rock band where you're just playing what you know from your head,
where every performance is different and for sure there is room for opinions about a good or bad solo or song.

I see that same gap of understanding when people translate lyrics from their native language.
As an English speaker from birth, and a North American, with a music scene the rest of the world imitates,
I see a lot of foreign bands using English when they could be more poetic or meaningful with it.

Let me be more personal about it, as a Canadian in Ontario.
The Quebec government passed a law making it illegal to have "cultural appropriation".
The first person arrested for this was a white man who had dreadlocks like a rasta.
Please, don't think I'm expecting this to start a debate with you,
because it makes me ashamed to be a Canadian.
My friends and I were wondering if they would arrest a foreigner for singing in French in Quebec,
stupid stuff like that, like wearing KISS make-up onstage as a clone band.
I'm left-handed and can play a Strat through a Marshall amp with effects,
so if I ever did a Jimi Hendrix clone band I'd use make-up to look like him as much as possible.

Even in the United States, with this back-lash against "black-face", this would cause problems.
However, in this cold weather, if there was an Al Jolson album and movie burning bonfire,
I'd show up to warm up. I'd bring my DVD movie copy of "Birth of a Nation" and toss it in.

Let me just say... I'm not a crea-ture of habit.
 
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John Watt

John Watt

Member
Prog Head! I appreciate the advice, and this is proof you are more progressive than me with technology.
If you saw all my computer technology, what I call my portable office, you might be impressed.
But I'm just a word processor who likes doing photos.

I'm not hot on most computer offerings because I'm not American or English-Canadian.
I was taught to speak Proper English, and American online Americanizes that, changing my spelling.
I can look at Wikepedia for what they have to say about my clans and people I know, and they're wrong.
Google Translate? I've never tried, but I wouldn't trust it.
Looking at your last link, at times like this I wished I could speak Dutch.

Is Crea going to look at their use of English from the English side,
and name a new album "Holland-Daze", getting a little hot saucy with their style?
 

Prog Head

Member
After the success of their first album, CREA have decided to create a successor to the debut. Set to be released in 2020.
 

Prog Head

Member
Prog Head said:
After the success of their first album, CREA have decided to create a successor to the debut. Set to be released in 2020.
Click to expand...

The working title for new CD is "The Gathering of Dwarves & Penguins" that should feature a couple of instrumental pieces, one lengthy epic (a sort of diverse prog-suite), plus something else.
 

Prog Head

Member
Prog Head said:
The working title for new CD is "The Gathering of Dwarves & Penguins" that should feature a couple of instrumental pieces, one lengthy epic (a sort of diverse prog-suite), plus something else.
Click to expand...

A set of 8 compositions is starting to take shape: 'The Gathering of the Penguins', 'The End of the World', 'The Suicide Suite', 'Tidal Wave', 'The Gathering of the Dwarves', 'Nothing', 'Long Goodbyes', 'Omaha'.
 
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