Streetmark is a tight and imaginative prog-rock based group from Düsseldorf starting from the mid 70s, another hot name from the Rhineland scene. At the time of their debut Nordland, they were a five piece, consisting of guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals. An immediately noticeable aspect of Streetmark is the explosive, soulful wailing of singer Georg Buschmann, often backed by the etherial sustained notes of keyboardist Dorothea Raukes; a dynamic very much reminiscent of Novalis' debut from 3 years prior. Regarding the style of vocals I am also somewhat reminded of Jane. Buschmann is not the best in his non-native speaking English annunciations but makes up for it with his intensity and emotion (also reminiscent of Jane but somewhat more successful).
The album starts with the three-parter titled House of Three Windows, ending with an amazing Beatles cover of Eleanor Rigby; a track where Georg Buschmann's singing really shines. As is evident of any tight, skilled, and experienced band, Streetmark has a certain synergy where all five elements seem to meld together into a single entity. Every instrument very much alive, complimenting eachother and full of complexity. Track 4, Amulet Sage is one of my favorites, with all of its structural complexities, both epic and strange, reminiscent of Eloy. I would also like to reiterate how awesome that organ keyboard sounds. I'm also not sure if Buschmann is successfully hitting all of those notes but I like them anyway. In the later half, the song breaks out into this euphoric section with the lyrics "Sun is shining, there's no cloud around." It is rainbow prog euphoria like Satin Whale but with more of a classical than a blues leaning.
Italian Concert in Rock is a silly little rock n roll Baroque number that I found to be technically proficient but not particularly interesting but it's only 2 minutes in length. The album immediately picks back up with Da Capo. At this point it's readily apparent that the two leads are generally the keyboard and vocals, with guitar solos peppered in here and there. Another short track but it totally rocks.
Next is the start of the next multi-part epic titled Nordland. Section a) Waves and Visions, a communication between guitar and keyboard, combined into a magical soundscape of oceans with their jeweled reflections of the moonlight. Again rather short but sweet. I think it would have been interesting for them to pursue this one a bit further in this case. Section b) Lyster Fjord is another one of their epics and possibly my favorite track on the album. This is a case in which I'm rather frustrated not to have access to a lyric booklet as I am not very good at discerning words in general and they sound rather interesting.
Streetmark is a favorite of the triumphant, and righteous prog epics of krautrock, up there with early Eloy and Novalis. An absolutely smashing debut. 8/10
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