Polish father-son duo Transgalactica have created something truly ambitious with the Jocice Of The Market- a song that makes the entire economic history and the culture identity turn into a progressive hard rock without losing intellectual strictness or even blood and thunder. It is not music that alludes to big ideas, but contains them in its architectural musical form.
The mere fact of its premise is also an expression of impressive creative daring: a parallel history of Ireland and Poland viewed through the prism of economic metamorphosis, with the smart pun of the title indicating how Ireland hardened its literary agony into commercial success. Tomasz and Filip Bieron interlace the themes of the Irish national anthems and, transposed into minor, there resonate throughout the arrangement, hauntingly, yet respectfully to the tradition, yet violating the expectation at the same time.
There is profound progressive rock literacy in the musicianship. References to the Lamia in Genesis fifths in the second stanza rock segment are not homage but rather well thought out incorporation, showing that influence can not only inform but can do it in a not obtrusive manner. The gorgeous guitar effort creates the required intensity, and the electrifying beats keep the energy going at an even pace so that the conceptual bulk does not turn into a heavy load.
The sense of camaraderie between father and son that exudes in Joyce Of The Market is what makes it so interesting. There is sincerity in their invigorating vocal performances, you feel they are deeply convinced of the historical account and its present-day topicality. Its production manages to combine the punk aggression, hard rock power, and metallic edge and provide the sonic richness that can be both rustic and modern.
The classical influences of Transgalactica, their symphonic rock roots inform their more violent desires, with music that does not forget to feel. Joyce Of The Market is a success, both as an intellectual workout and as a physical experience, evidence that progressive music can both stimulate the brain and the body, and that complicated theories should be met with complicated music.
