crtvtr
Here It Comes, Tramontane

The CRTVTR, also known as Cartavetro, are an alternative rock band from Genoa. I could tell you about their debut EP "We Need Time" which featured the collaboration of Mike Watt from Minutemen (and now The Stooges), where behind the good alternative rock with a British twist, you could already notice the peaks of originality and the urge to experiment that would later be fully satisfied in this latest album. I could tell you about the tour they’re about to embark on in China, during which they will shoot a video diary, but I prefer to only talk to you about the album, "Here it comes, Tramontane".

I came across this group almost by chance, after months spent scraping the bottom of every music site, in search of something new, something original, I stumbled upon CRTVTR. Struck by their name, which seems like a tax code, I started listening to their latest work. The album begins with "Workers", and you’re immediately impressed; the track opens with a long a cappella intro, then enters into the swing with the arrival of pounding drums and a gritty guitar. The sound is rough and distorted, the rhythm keeps changing, leaving you disoriented even with some downright unexpected choices. The track is over, more than seven minutes have passed, and you didn’t even notice. What just happened? What did I just listen to?

There’s not even time to reflect on the beauty of the song you just heard as the second track, "The Rental", starts. The opening drums recall the tribal rhythms of African tribes, with a constant shout in the background, above, repetitive chants, and at the forefront a powerful bass that takes control. The rhythms continue to vary again, surprising you every time, until the end, when Mike Watts appears in an emotional reading that closes the song.

Another 7 minutes of great music, originality, and bold ideas have passed. Well, the greatness must end here; after all, these are also the two tracks circulating online. The rest of the album will settle on repetitive and boring songs, and the excessive length of the tracks will make it unbearable. BULLSHIT! The next track "Three Kids in the Woods" is the longest of the work (over 8 minutes) and also the best. The style is still that of the previous tracks, changes in rhythm, repetitive and hypnotic chants, hard, gritty sound, and measured use of electronics, but this time the quality reaches even greater heights.

Okay, now I understand what the recipe for the songs is, they won't be able to surprise me anymore, but it happens again with the fourth track "Piano Piano", the track you least expect, surprisingly cheerful, and when you finish listening to it, it leaves you with a strange little smile stamped on your face. It is followed by "Lazarus," another beautiful track, sustained at the start by a catchy melody crafted by the electric guitar, which repeatedly tricks you into believing the song is over, only to take off once again with even more energy.

The penultimate track is "Cathode Ray Tube Video Tape Recorder," the most energetic track on the album, where the only lyrics consist of the obsessive repetition of the title, while underneath the instruments build an intricate sonic backdrop that accompanies you to the end without ever becoming boring. Okay, we have reached the last track, I've heard rock, psychedelia, melancholy tracks, angry ones, joyful ones, readings, distortions, electronics, a cappella choirs, and much more, there's nothing missing. For me, the album could close here, there’s nothing more to add. But something is still missing, a slow, rock-tinged ballad. And here we are satisfied with the track "In a Box," which gently and slowly takes us to the end of the album, closing with hysterical and schizophrenic screams, just to surprise us one last time.

The album is over, I turn off the stereo and go to sleep satisfied, I close my eyes, tomorrow I’ll do the only possible thing to do, after having received such a sacred musical pearl, I’ll do what every good messiah must do, I’ll spread the word. Masterpiece!