Above & Beyond - Group Therapy flac album

like the title point their out, this álbum was made for therapy, full with melodies for relaxation and amazing lyrics which they describe the human feelings,this álbum is less ¨(trancy) that tri- state, and is more experimental, you can found electro and progressive influence, in the most songs but are supplemented with the trance roots and this way they create an amazing journey for the trance lovers and also for the edm fans.

Good, not great. Does not even compare to Tri-State.

Loaded with filler, this album is hugely overrated and cannot compare at all to its predecessor, "Tri-State". I routinely get bored when listening to this album, and "Sun & Moon" is the type of song that amuses you at first but then drives you nuts once you've heard it a certain number of times. I wish Qdoba would put as much cheese on my quesadillas as there is in this album.

So, here it is. One of the most eagerly anticipated electronic dance music studio albums of its generation (perhaps even of all time) and the follow-up to one of the greatest such albums in ‘Tri-State’, a debut masterpiece of epic proportions that transcended concepts of genres and classifications and served to remind the critics that EDM can have emotion, soul and purpose and not just club-ready beats and throwaway synth line melodies. First of all, Above & Beyond should be acknowledged for not trying to go ‘toe to toe’ with ‘Tri-State’ when going through the process of writing this album. ‘Tri-State’ was, and remains, a soundtrack for all occasions and emotions, from reliving the peak-time euphoria of the superclub set through to the reflective moments of a lazy summer’s day with the one you love and the agonies of a break-up. ‘Group Therapy’ is, by definition, a more introspective and melancholic body of work. Indeed, some fans have already remarked at the ‘lack of trance’ on this album, but I believe that this album was always to be a far more cohesive effort stylistically, and it is all the better for it. As with ‘Tri-State’, Above & Beyond open proceedings with a sweeping instrumental, ‘Filmic’. A gorgeous, string-led piece full of undulating pianos, delicate touches of xylophone and a subtle vocal element reminiscent of ‘In The Past’, this is powerful, epic musicianship at its very best. Next up is ‘Alchemy’, the first of numerous tracks on the album that harness the vocals of regular associate Zoë Johnston. Johnston’s bleak, wailing and wistful tones fit particularly well with the pulsing groove and the feel and personality of this track, which contrasts the emotions of being in and out of love in a very accomplished manner. An obvious choice as the lead-off single from the album, ‘Sun & Moon’ sees Jono, Paavo and Tony working once again with long-time collaborator Richard Bedford. Without seeking to go off-piste here, Bedford truly is an astonishing vocal talent and is at the forefront of some of Above & Beyond’s finest moments. From the uplifting euphorics of ‘Alone Tonight’ to the moody undertones of ‘Stealing Time’, Bedford seems to have the vocal range for the entire spectrum of the Above & Beyond sound. Anchored by a fizzing synth line, it’s his voice that provides the main emotional hook on this track, as he sings “I’m sorry baby, you were the sun and moon to me. I’ll never get over you, you’ll never get over me.” Those who elected to purchase the single may have also taken notice of the track’s versatility, having been reworked by several producers in a number of genres from uplifting trance to dubstep with great success. Zoë Johnston makes her second appearance on ‘You Got To Go’. This is an intelligent piece of songcraft, wrapping a distinctly warmer vocal and positive set of lyrics around a darker foundation of punchy beats and dark and heavy bassline before drifting blissfully to a close with a touching string sequence. This is a five-and-a-half minute preach on seizing the day, taking a chance and making the most of the opportunities that present themselves in life, and is one of my top three tracks from the album. ‘For All I Care’, featuring Tony McGuinness’ rasping vocals, was one of the most underrated tracks on ‘Tri-State’, and I’m glad to see that they’ve taken the time to write another track with Tony behind the mic on ‘Group Therapy’. This time, however, Richard Bedford joins him on vocal duties, and the interplay between the two works a treat. Tony’s bolshier, attitudinal tones take the lead, with Bedford’s vocals coming into play when they are required to soar on this fuzzy, electro-influenced number. Quite simply, all of the elements fit perfectly, as Above & Beyond take a step in a slightly different direction and begin to evolve and explore different elements of their sound. The second of my top three album cuts. Following on from ‘You Got To Go’ in terms of having Zoë Johnston providing the vocal dimension on a more elevating than usual collaborative effort is ‘Giving It Out’. This track took a little bit of time to grow on me, but once it got its hooks in I had it on repeat. The focal point of the track, the chorus, is a real gem, delightfully simple but incredibly infectious. In my opinion, any non EDM fan approaching this album ‘cold’ would probably find this to be one of the most instantly accessible tracks, in contrast to tranceheads and long-time fans, who might take a little more time than most to warm to it. ‘On My Way To Heaven’ is really all about Richard Bedford. Ascending string sequences and simple piano keys provide the canvas over which Bedford can show off his entire vocal range on this track. Indeed, as the pitter-patter of the xylophones percolates through on the outro, you know you’ve just heard something of epic proportions. ‘Prelude’ follows and blossoms into a heartstoppingly beautiful piece of work. Its haunting vocal samples give it a very spiritual dimension, and make it the perfect bridge between the first and second halves of the album. And everyone that’s been waiting for ‘Group Therapy’ since the day ‘Tri-State’ was released will instantly recognise the opening melodies of ‘Sun In Your Eyes’, which was the instrumental ‘taster’ provided during the early promotional stages of the album. Strings, ghostly vocals and gently darting synths combine on another very deep and stirring instrumental piece. ‘Love Is Not Enough’ is blessed with another wonderful vocal from Zoë Johnston, who really has come into her own on this album. Even better, however, are the piano lines and the celestial string arrangements. Indeed, it becomes apparent quite early on when listening to this album just how prominent such arrangements are on this body of work as a whole. And as if to reiterate the point, ‘Every Little Beat’ opens (and indeed also ends) with a powerful sequence of strings. At the time of writing, I would say that this is my personal favourite from the album; the heartfelt vocals from Bedford bring the lyrics to life in a very poignant manner on what is a very gloomy and melancholic mid-paced track. Next up is ‘Sweetest Heart’, a much more driving number, and it immediately lifts the mood as the warmth and illuminating feel of the pianos and vocals from Johnston provide the perfect antidote to the darker moods of the predecessor track. There can be no other way to describe ‘Thing Called Love’ other than Group Therapy’s ‘Alone Tonight’. The single version is, of a course, a much grimier, electro-influenced affair, and to be honest I would have been glad if either of the ‘main’ versions of this track had made the album listing. Nevertheless, selecting the ‘trancier’ version that featured on Anjunabeats Volume 8 was probably the best decision. Powerful, touching and uplifting from the opening piano keys to the resonating vocal fade-out, it’s another Above & Beyond epic built to be played in front of another one million people singing along word for word. ‘Only A Few Things’ is the only disappointing moment on the album; an introspective link between the previous euphorics and outro track ‘Eternal’, it’s incredibly bleak but lacks a certain something and I found myself tempted to skip the track having listened to about half of it. And so we are left with ‘Eternal’, another spellbinding instrumental piece that stunningly brings the album to a close. Delicately plucked melodies and a drifting ambiance characterise this beautiful number. It is very, very difficult to find fault with this album. The penultimate track is, in my opinion, something of a weak link, but it’s almost inconsequential given the standard of the other productions around it. Others seeking to nitpick may comment at the narrow scope of the collaborations and the absence of additional vocalists and guest producers; ‘Tri-State’, for example, also featured the likes of Ashley Tomberlin, and a joint production with Andy Moor. But perhaps that was the whole idea behind this album, to keep it much more ‘close knit’ by collaborating only with the very closest of musical companions, which provides the counter argument that further vocalists and influences may have impacted negatively upon the overall sense that ‘Group Therapy’ was sculpted to be a cohesive collection of songs and not a chaotic mix of styles thrown together. Indeed, whilst ‘Tri-State’ was epic, this feels much more like a single, seamless body of work. It’s been worth the wait; Above & Beyond have delivered on the masterpiece we all knew that they were capable of crafting. And then some. Put simply, this is an album that needs to be heard, a true soundtrack of life that will stand the test of time for the care and attention that was put into its creation, and the emotion, warmth and sadness that flows out of it.

Beautiful review album done by Astronica, wich make me remember that commenting a album is an art, like making music and like playing a good selection of tunes in a Dj's selection. Not everybody can do these thing rightfully. It's a real pleasure reading these words and i'll buy this album for discover Above & Beyond as it seems i missed them until today.Music A Fe Rule