Za!

These Spanish surrealists are really on to something. Megaflow is prog to the core, but progressive in the truest sense, in that they take their penchant for complicated music and extend it globally. Their first album was a spastic, jump cut affair, whereas this one breaks down and builds up its ideas in a more sustained fashion. That makes a big difference, as they manage to find the right balance of humour, convincing grooves and self-affirming complexity. Fronted by chanted vocals in overlapping time signatures, the band lay down a more conventional bass/drums/guitar core than previously heard. Other prog pranksters, like Secret Chiefs 3 and even Mike Patton, come to mind, with their contrast between Lightning Bolt-worthy heaviness and Muppet-like tomfoolery, but this is a truly superior integration of both elements. Za! also continue their mastery of no-nonsense African grooves, as with the Tortoise-y "Casamance Pt. 2." Their suppleness as a band and ability to dial it back to near-minimalism when required are a real strength. This is a wonderfully creative record.