B-Rain
Echoes From The Undertow

The Roman drummer Davide Guidoni is certainly not an unfamiliar name to those who have followed the Italian progressive scene from the '90s to today. He has played with groups such as Taproban, Nuova Era, Aries, Gallant Farm, The Far Side, and Pensiero Nomade, always bringing his touch of class. He later formed a strong partnership with Bergamo keyboardist Alfio Costa in the Daal project. The Daal are now one of the best realities of the Italian prog scene, as shown by the last two works released simultaneously "Decalogue Of Darkness" and "Never Fallings Into Living Origami"). Now, Guidoni is tackling a solo album - titled "Echoes From The Undertow" - under the moniker B-Rain. For the occasion, he has surrounded himself with collaborators such as his Daal partner Alfio Costa (keyboards), Luca Pietropaoli from Fonderia (brass), Vincenzo Zitello (strings), Roberto Vitelli from Ellesmere (guitars), Salvatore Lazzara from Pensiero Nomade (guitars), and Steve Unruh from Samurai Of Prog (electric violin and flute). Let me say straight away that some may find themselves baffled by this work: we are indeed facing an avant-garde album with many references to electronic and ambient music. From the initial "Far From The Madding Crowd" - a short track reminiscent of Brian Eno and Harold Budd's "The Pearl" - we are immersed in a diffused and melancholic atmosphere, in a misty and blurred landscape already evoked by the beautiful cover. With the following "Lakeshore," the beginning with the flute introduces us to an almost mystical dimension, while the music is colored with changing hues thanks to the timbre of the strings. The title track is characterized by minimal and refined rhythms over which a melancholic trumpet stands out. The masterpiece of the album is undoubtedly the long "Descending Mist" (over 20 minutes): the settings are slow and motionless. We are in territories very close to ambient - referring to artists like Steve Roach and Vidna Obmana - but then, in the second part, the music becomes darker and dynamic with rhythms in the background creating a hypnotic backdrop: truly an outstanding track. "Echoes From The Undertow" is certainly an interesting and refined album that I would recommend, not only to more open-minded prog followers but also to lovers of electronic and ambient music. Available on Bandcamp: https://daal.bandcamp.com/album/b-rain-echoes-from-the-undertow.