Kaipa Is One Of My Comfort Prog Listens

[Splicer]

Their new album Sommargryningsljus is fine. I enjoy it. Nice melodies, nice playing - a good listen. However, I'm getting tired of that keyboard-imitating-a-guitar sound that Hans Lundin loves. I like a guitar to sound like a guitar and a keyboard to sound like a keyboard. It's a personal quirk.

I do like the incorporation of what sound like folk melodies but still in a rock format and that makes them different.

[Czyszy]

The Hans Lundin's Kaipa material with Per Nilsson on guitar (after Roine's departure) is great but a lot of their songs share very similar elements in a way that the lack of variety makes some of those songs not very memorable IMHO. However, the technical aspects such as production, editing, instrumental performance and so on are top level. My favorite era of Kaipa is still the 1974-1978 era. Honestly, I think Roine Stolt's one shot project Kaipa Da Capo which, strangely enough, featured more founding Kaipa members than any Hans Lundin's Kaipa album, is much closer to the musical atmosphere, that made me fall in love with the early Kaipa material so much, than what Lundin is doing now with Aleena, Lundström and others. YMMV.

[Splicer]

The Hans Lundin's Kaipa material with Per Nilsson on guitar (after Roine's departure) is great but a lot of their songs share very similar elements in a way that the lack of variety makes some of those songs not very memorable IMHO.

I was thinking earlier that if I put all the current Kaipa in a playlist and hit shuffle, I couldn't tell that it wasn't from the same album.

[progmatist]

I was thrilled when their first three albums were reissued on vinyl. With a young Roine on guitar, and lyrics sung in Swedish.

[Progbear]

I heard some of Sattyg and thought it was horrific. It sounded more like Andrew Lloyd Webber than prog.

[fiberman]

I like the new album a lot, but then I have always liked Kaipa. I can't pick particular players and who sound like guitars, but it's keys or visa versa. I like the album without picking it apart, but I will say, I think,(as is always necessary to mention in these reviews) IMPO, I really like the drumming. Darby Todd, nice job!

[Czyszy]

However, I'm getting tired of that keyboard-imitating-a-guitar sound that Hans Lundin loves. I like a guitar to sound like a guitar and a keyboard to sound like a keyboard.

I think Hans Lundin has been trying to "push" that lead synth as his signature/trademark sound for some time now. From what I remember he created it on a Nord Lead synth.
Now, this is just a speculation, but maybe Lundin has a stealth endorsment deal with Clavia going on behind the scenes. A lot of Swedish keyboard players do that, since Clavia/Nord is a Swedish brand.