Dawning in the heart of the post-2000s Prog Rock Renaissance, Plini (full name Plini Roessler-Holgate) struck a proverbial and literal chord with music connoisseurs and enthusiasts throughout the far reaches of both the genre and the cultural landscape. His silvered picking style and innovative writing prowess earned him a reputation for being "one of the finest, forward-thinking, melodic, rhythmically and harmonically deep, evolution of rock/metal instrumental guitar records I have ever heard," as the legendary Steve Vai himself described him. Nearly a dozen studio albums/EPs after his inception (initially released under Halcyon before switching to his trademark mononym two years later), this vivacious virtuoso, who largely popularized the iconic, headless Strandberg guitar, has expertly delivered once again with his most recent LP, "An Unnameable Desire."
The album name itself is a fitting starting place – one of Plini's strengths, like many truly inspired musicians, is capturing the verbally or visually indescribable, or "unnameable." Many great poets and artisans throughout the ages are revered for their abilities to transmute larger-than-life concepts into accessible pieces. It's a peculiar name choice for a musical release, suggesting a "concept" album of sorts, with the primary driving theme and through-line of the music being an attempt to convey an abstract part of the human experience. The ebbs and flows occurring throughout this record mimic the magnetic pulls that come of longing for something or someone. However, there is not an excess of melancholy in the melodies as might be expected with these concepts. One of the things that struck me first about this record is how intentional the layers are, not just with each instrument, but in Plini's design for navigating the innate desires of the human heart across each track and as a whole.
It was peculiar to me, then, that this record possesses some of the heaviest sections Plini has ever written, though upon several repeat listens, the reasoning started to make sense. Many of you are familiar with the phrase "desire is suffering." Plini is not known best for his more "metal" sections, those where the guitar tone carries the weight and velocity seen in heavier bands. This is not to suggest that he is incapable, however, and An Unnameable Desire delves into musical depths that broke new ground for Plini while not purely being mere flair or shock value. Given the album's conceptual overtones, these heavier sections purposefully convey the gravity, density, and intensity that come with emotional thirst – these portions of the album cut and carve away at the listener in ways that mirror the shadow side of hope itself.
The edgier facets of An Unnameable Desire are properly tempered with Plini's signature and masterful dynamics – I would not consider this record to be consistently "heavy," aside from perhaps thematically. In fact, this record never lingers in any one particular space for too long. The openings of every track can be likened to awakening day-by-day across months or even years, complete with the experiences, sensations, and directions that each one brings. Conflicting, competing ideas lie in wait under the surface, bubbling up as melodies push and pull like ocean tides. Some are stripped back and broken down, revealing subtleties beneath that Plini builds on and evolves, reflecting how minute changes to one's external life can foster new growth internally, and vice versa. This album glows with perspective and perception, condensing the extremities of seeking treasures borne from within, complete with the transient humdrums that ultimately define the highs in life. It's unclear whether Plini composed this under the guise of tragedy or if there is even a category of drama to place this in at all. Perhaps that is his message – to interpret and internalize the message how we see fit. I would expect nothing less from a composer of his caliber.
The album breathes with a flickering hum, not unlike the internal flames stoking within us, perhaps a metaphor for our various "whys" that keep us going in the first place. It progresses at different speeds, not just in tempo but in its character. Plini implements a counterweight to the heavier, more intense sections by suspending you upwards into the stratosphere. Think back to days when seconds, hours, and even the totality of your waking consciousness felt detached from time itself. We all lament what we cannot control, which is one of the foundations of An Unnameable Desire. This comes through from time to time as deep, pensive melodies quiver and shake as they build, sometimes crumbling underneath their own trepidation, only to pick up and rebuild anew. The very intro to the whole record is titled "Dorénavant", meaning "From now on" – There is an acceptance within this record that dares push forward, apprehensive and uncertain as it may be, in pursuit of something that cannot be neglected. Plini demonstrates desire as a daily ritual of firewalking, especially when it pertains to those we struggle to put a finger on in the first place.
An Unnameable Desire positions the varying degrees of pressure such that the thicker sections are made even more so by their counterparts, which encapsulate the banal humdrum of everyday life, resembling a life slowly becoming numb from unfulfillment. Altogether, it has a runtime of nearly 41 minutes but has the ability to pass in the blink of an eye should you allow yourself to properly immerse yourself in it. Plini specializes in making the most out of very few ingredients, a specialty not seen often even in the more progressive genres. As with all of his material, this record strikingly and beautifully propels you and lifts you to heights that never cease to evoke goosebumps. Throughout it all, Plini graces the listener with wave after wave of majestic, fantastical soundscapes that activate a sixth sense, something extraordinary and deeper than the subconscious. Listeners can nod along with its message, choosing to say "yes" to the devotions propelling them along the journey towards claiming their unnameable desire.
FFO: Jakub Zytecki, Owane, Chon, Sithu Aye, I Built the Sky, David Maxim Micic, Nick Johnston, Sungazer, Scale the Summit, Chimp Spanner
