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Rating: Three years after "Ballate per piccole iene," the most anticipated album of 2008 for the Italian scene finally arrives.
Upon seeing the cover, you immediately get the feeling that After have set aside the darker and more monolithic sounds of the last two albums in favor of a fresher, more playful style.
I receive further confirmation of this when inserting the CD into the player and seeing that the 14 tracks (or recipes of everyday macabre happiness) that make up the album barely exceed 40 minutes.
Indeed, the After have rediscovered the irony and the desire to experiment and play as in the old days, partly due to the lineup change.
The result is largely successful: Manuel & co. once again manage to offer some gems to fans such as "Tutto domani", a track stylistically close to "Pop: una canzone pop" by Germi, "Tema: la mia città", a new small masterpiece from the band, or the opening track, the snapshot "Naufragio sull'isola del tesoro" where our Manuel showcases his great vocal and compositional talents.
Also noteworthy is the single "E' solo febbre", an experimental track that combines a 9/4 guitar and voice section with an orchestra made of strings, brass, and timpani. The ballad "Musa di nessuno" where Gabrielli's brass (the band's new entry) are truly a value added, and "Tutti gli uomini del presidente", sung by the new bassist Dell'Era in a glam falsetto, accompanied by stoner guitars reminiscent at times of "Muory delay" by Verdena.
The lullaby that closes the album "Orchi e streghe sono soli" is also very beautiful, a delightful text that Manuel dedicates to his daughter Emma.
Decidedly underwhelming is "Tarantella all'inazione"; the idea is interesting but not fully realized, the title track: a ballad inspired by Mark Lanegan where, in my opinion, the dark melody doesn't convince 100%, and the electronic "Dove si va da qui", perhaps a bit dull until the noise finale.
It may not be a masterpiece, but there are more good ideas compared to the previous "Ballate per piccole iene" and once again After are capable, as mentioned, of producing well-crafted tracks.
Tracklist and Videos
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