Undoubtedly, Spiritual Front is one of the most interesting bands coming forth from the neofolk scene. Originally starting as a solo project, the band around Simone Salvatori has broadened its horizon over the years, expanding its sound with elements of pop, tango, blues and rock to form a unique musical blend. After five full-length albums from 1999 to 2013 it has been silent for a while around Spiritual Front, but Salvatori and his gang are now back with a new album called “Amour Braque”.

The album’s main theme is love in all its forms. Pain, passion, lust, tenderness and devotion: it’s all there and Spiritual Front truly makes you feel it. It leads to thirteen songs that are quite different from each other, yet form a coherent album with rich instrumentation, lyrics straight from the heart and a level of musicality that most bands can only dream of. Whether it’s the poppy neofolk in “The Abyss Of Heaven”, the melancholy of “Pain Is Love” or the blues in “Devoted To You”, Spiritual Front seduces and captivates the listener with heart and soul.

It’s been five years, but “Amour Braque” is definitely worth the wait. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait this long next time for the next Spiritual Front release, but for now there is enough to discover on “Amour Braque” to keep the fans satisfied for some time. Excellent release, highly recommendable.

(9/10 Lykle Thijssen)

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https://spiritualfrontofficial.bandcamp.com/album/amour-braque