Elio e le Storie Tese
Cicciput

THE REVIEW

WARNING: VULGAR LANGUAGE. Activate Parental Control. Well yes… I listen to Elio. I'm writing this review knowing that I will receive a barrage of boos and accusations of having common tastes. Well, folks… I couldn’t care less!

Elio and the group of stories (too t)tense is, in my opinion, the most skillful group in terms of instrument technique in the Italian scene. Individually, they are all phenomenal and, remarkably, their mastery is not diminished in ensemble music but, on the contrary, they manage to enhance each other, maximizing the abilities of the individual, structuring compositions that are almost impossible to reproduce.

But tell me the truth: have you ever heard anyone cover Elio? I haven't, and I think this can be easily explained why. On the contrary, “the” Elio allows themselves to cover everyone (including Zappa) and spice them up thanks to the ease with which they perform them. Making music that ultimately seems nonsensical is the logical consequence of the fact that they can play everything in all styles and at their best. Otherwise, what else could they play differently? Jazz, perhaps, but they would get bored; they are not exhibitionists (or maybe they are?) in that sense of the term “exhibitionism” that we all know as a demonstration of technique.

I reproach Elio for being so confident in themselves that they sometimes verge on arrogance and the most banal vulgarity. Arrogance and vulgarity mix, in fact, in this latest album of theirs, along with brilliant ideas, ending up diminishing a bit the brilliance with which they handle delicate topics. The grace of the lyrics and the fascinating and never banal structure of the pieces is admirable. But sometimes, the ability to self-limit is a sign of elegance. I think it’s enough to win; you absolutely don't need to overpower. Elio overpowers.

Even in this album, Elio tells us that they're the best (by far), that they are the most skilled, that they do the most “difficult” things to play. And they do it sometimes with elegance (the drummer Mayer is monstrous), sometimes with arrogance, sometimes with presumption. Elio doesn’t care, he mocks everything and everyone. Without shame, without false hypocrisy. And this is what I prefer, both in their music and in the lyrics: not accepting half measures, not hiding behind false claims.

They will remain confined within the national borders forever, but I don't think they care much. 13 tracks vulgar, blasphemous, hyper-technical, cowardly, profane, irreverent, mystical, psychedelic, danceable, synchronous and asynchronous… as usual, there's everything and more, you go from Latin-American to hard without interruption. There are unthinkable drum and bass combinations. Offbeats where it's impossible to play over them, yet Faso, Cesareo, and Rocco Tanica embroider over them as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

This album (like the previous ones) demands to be accepted as it is, without compromises. Elio you either like or don't like, period. He doesn't beg you to listen to him but gets angry if you get offended by listening to him. But watch out: help, Shpalmer is coming, who shpalms shit on your face, I have to run! And then why is there a cartel of gays who decided that last year red was in and today it's blue? Surely we must pray to Cicciput, the money angel. And if I were cool, they would admire my hair, which is fake but very beautiful. And stop stealing stones from Tuscany: do you know that this year Tuscany is 52 meters below its Tuscany-ness? Don’t take the stones away from Tuscany because otherwise, we won’t know where Tuscany is anymore… Didn’t understand the last sentences? Listen to the album…