Albedo
Lezioni di anatomia

THE REVIEW

Let me start off with a bang to draw your attention to what, for most of you, is an absolute novelty.

These Albedo have, quite possibly, produced the best Italian album of 2013. BOOM!

The guys started with a completely self-produced debut (all on their own dime, all their own money, all their own effort) and a second work as interesting as the first. The third one, this “Lezioni di anatomia,” risks becoming a bombshell in the Italian scene. The mold is pop. But pop that couldn’t be more pop. In the positive sense of the term, of course. The intricate rewards us with stratospheric arrangements, bright ideas, colorful solutions, immense facets and contaminations. Originality to spare, in short. A compendium. Tidbit: the titles are named after organs and parts of the human body (sounds a bit gimmicky, doesn’t it?).

The journey begins with “Cuore.” A perfectly chosen single, a polished sports car, brand new. The bass drum kicks in (to mimic the heartbeat), then the arpeggio enters, then the chorus. It will stick to your neurons, I warned you. Hit of the lot. “Dita” is another little gem of fine craftsmanship, very interesting. The tail end deserves great attention, enveloping, fading away. Suddenly, we’re catapulted into the acidic and unruly environment of “Stomaco.” The intro is a punch (in the stomach), the track is bare, as hard as rock, it’s “flesh, bones, blood,” just to quote the lyrics precisely, because I wouldn’t know how to explain it better. A brief intermission of one minute to catch your breath (“Pance”) and where does this breath go? Into the “Polmoni.” A piece with a bittersweet taste, vaguely adolescent and carefree. This too has such a catchy vocal line and cadence that it will become viral. Another watershed (“Occhi”) and then you encounter the intricate structures of “Fegato,” you zig-zag through the guitar rhythms, only to end up cradled by a sweet final current. It’s the turn of “Schiena,” which drags you into the world of Radiohead. An episode for piano and vocals, well-executed, perfect for preparing the ground for the final farewell of “Gambe,” which do a great job. The chorus (needless to say) invites you to sing along, extremely effective percussion, hand in hand with guitar bursts and a very intense text. Applause.

I’ll bet 5 euros that once the album is over, you’ll start it over again. At least, that’s what happened to me. Let me know.

In the meantime, spread the word. They’re good. And they’re Italian.