Bassist extraordinaire Massimiliano Dionigi, whom I previously discovered with Juglans Regia (an album I loved and admiringly reviewed) sent me this lovely little album , an innovative project that should establish this newcomer within the prog community. It’s a short one, surely an omen of things to come. The Florentine band was formed by Marco Visconti (drums) and keyboardist Vincenzo Casini Raggi, Massimiliano adding his craft with guitarist Andrea Brighi doubling on vocals. Throw in a highly attractive front cover, the initial impression becomes quite favourable. Four tracks , nearly 26 minutes of fascinating music.
Sumptuous beginnings on the mystical “I Talk to the Light”, where a seductive bass lays down a monstrous foundation, the keyboards in flute mode, the shimmering guitars shooting out flares, while the serpentine bass decides to go on a little trip beyond the darkness. Visconti meanwhile pounds the skins with impunity, throttling when required. This is one heaven of track, gritty, audacious and edgy. I am gobsmacked, as this is definitely in my wheelhouse!
The second track “Ashes Fade, Ancient Shores” was a difficult listen at first, the acoustic guitar work wholly unexpected, the eerie spoken word vocal ‘left me in ruins‘. But upon repeated revisits, I was realigned towards a kind of Bowie-esque Major Tom flavour mixed in with some countrified picking that had me fooled for a second, thinking I was momentarily in Kansas. Even Donovan’s epic “Atlantis” came to mind, surely underlining my long love affair with rock music (as well as my age) but hey, that the way it is. In the end, I admitted to myself that patience is always a virtue. A fine track indeed. If in doubt, go research my Bowie/Donovan references and see if I am totally bonkers! (I don’t think so !).
The title track exposes a clear tinge of 80s bands like Modern English, B-Movie, Ultravox, Magazine and Peter Murphy but this quartet seeks to emancipate their sound and thus opt for a more streamlined and modern approach that works fine as far as I am concerned. A sublime synth solo nestles this into a warm space between the ears.
“Let me Have Some (Today)” starts off as a quasi-segue to the opener, the identical bass identity up front and center, the raunchy guitars in unison with the driving propulsion as the section really light up a storm. But when things die down, the tick-tock drumming amid the e-piano splurge really impresses with insistence and pace, the bass shroud keeping the energy alive and well. Insert some atmospheric obliqueness just for the sake of it is a bold gesture, echoing distant quasars confusing the issue, an ideal set up for a conventional melody that just keeps on building up into a controlled frenzy , with a vocal line and a guitar solo, both executed with finesse by Andrea Brighi. An expansive, emotional finale that leaves a convincing afterglow.
Looking very much forward for their next step, especially if they maintain this style but in a more elaborate package with epic tracks. Musically , they are first-rate.
Check out their Bandcamp page zamenoff.bandcamp.com/album/your-new-mind for a listen or purchase, and you decide for yourself.
4 novel brains