Castaways Roaming
The Middle End

An debut that we could describe as simple yet effective, that of the Castaways Roaming, an Italian-made trio who, in "The Middle End," seem to want to attract the attention of that foreign-minded audience accustomed to that contaminated rock which Radiohead have managed to export to the world. Take it as an example in terms of experimentation, because the shores on which this work rests are certainly quite different. It transitions from that raw and somewhat sterile sound to settings filled with pathos, where perhaps they truly manage to give their best, showing themselves more inclined to the melodic mode than the more distorted one. It's a hybrid album that showcases a band with ample possibilities for growth but that at the same time cannot and does not manage to go beyond the classic "debut" status due to its immature figure and a general mood that still needs to be studied and refined to perfection. "Illusory Freedom" in all its melancholy is undoubtedly the best track of the entire lot, at times heartrending, especially thanks to a vocal interplay that highlights a mood far from exuberant. In all honesty, the Castaways Roaming manage to be enjoyable even when they decide to dare, donning the guise of the typical Brit-band ("Slovenjan Memories"), with a highlighted chorus and a simple and immediate main sound structure. Two examples that the band can certainly take as a starting point on which to build their fortunes but that, fundamentally, do not manage to change our opinion on the real quality of this work, which remains average-low compared to other debuts.