Gaznevada
Psicopatico Party

We are far from the dark punk-wave atmospheres of the shocking and unparalleled debut "Sick Soundtrack," but not completely. Gaznevada, still produced by the ingenious Oderso Rubini, with "Psicopatico Party," dated 1983, shift towards more commercial sounds (many fans of the early course felt betrayed) without neglecting the crazy schizophrenia of the gloomy pages of their beginnings.

On the other hand, the dark and post-punk scene was fading, and the electro-pop pages of the early '80s were already opening. The amusing crime-sexual scene branded in "Fashion Crime" closely recalls the bare and obsessive sound of the beginnings with Billy Blade's crazy sax disrupting the entire piece. It is "I.C. Love Affair" that leads Gaznevada to navigate on lighter shores. A catchy but not at all predictable track has its strength in the careful arrangement of bass and keyboards. The unbalanced extravagance of "Agente Speciale" (... You know I'm a special agent, a secret agent with a soft and deadly touch...) reflects the musical lines of the previous track. "A. Perkins" clearly refers to the famous film actor, bringing back once again to sound and content that modernize the era of their early career (...if A. Perkins takes your hand, he pulls you over the bed...).

Excellent, on the other hand, is the gloomy rock of "Visitor From The Space" well-structured on bass and electric along with interesting keyboard interludes by Luke Orioli. The title track of the album is still imbued with eccentric and disconnected verses accompanying yet another text between the surreal and demented (... with the whip and leather steel masks we'll have fun...). "Whispers" is instead more linear and light, confirming the new stylistic course undertaken. Excellent is "(Black Dressed) White Wild Boys" obsessive in the pyrotechnic and endless percussion accompanied by the usual flying and free sax (... touch my biceps unrestrained doll, on the stereo plate unrestrained music...). The album closes with the soft and mature "Beirut Ovest" a track that still differs from the group's atmospheres. A wave not excessively dark and convincing, imbued with the usual bare and heavy singing by Billy Blade, guides a story that tells of a strange and unique encounter in the ravaged Lebanese capital (... finally I have found you lying on the ground in an evening dress...).

In conclusion, "Psicopatico Party" cannot be defined as a minor album (as it has often been noted) since for the Bolognese group it would have been incorrect to continue following in the footsteps of the already mentioned "Sick Soundtrack," both for chronological reasons and for the strong changes in the sounds of the period. The interplay between all these themes and the greater overall variety instead manages to make listening to the album decidedly contemporary even today. Three and a half stars, tending towards four, I believe are well deserved.

(Precog)