If
Morpho Nestira

In a country now dominated by musical trash, as Battiato would say, a group of young people decided to emigrate to Spain to form a band and distribute a bit of good music to both national and international ears, for those who want to listen, of course. I chose to listen, and I invite you, as much as possible, to do the same. In Italy, we are now forced, sometimes against our will, to listen to ignoble and recommended trash like Marco Carta, shameful and prostituted trash like Anna Tatangelo, matriculated and prostituting trash like Gigi D'Alessio, (and they even sell...). Not to mention that stereotyped kitsch-exacerbating trash that bombards 18-year-old parties and nightclubs.

Talented artists are often misunderstood or musically "unclear." Maybe it's due to the high level of ignorance and overflowing narrow-mindedness, but in Italy, they sell little to very little, and consequently, they sell a lot to an incredible amount abroad. Here, you know, trash works, reality shows, horrible music, prostitutes who infest audio and video with tons of money, and some are even candidates for government... while the talented—from students to scientists, passing through professionals with a stopover at artists and, since they're on the road, musicians, directors, actors—if they can, go abroad to achieve the success they deserve at home or collapse into the worst oblivion.

The band in question is called "If," a quintet leaning towards prog and indie, with quite a good style. Their work is "Morpho Nestira," produced by a band member and achieving the just and much-desired success outside national borders. Paolo De Santis unleashes the result of diaphragm exploitation, Dario Lastella takes care of giving a sound to the guitars, Francesco Bussoli can be found in the bass department looking for a rhythm to sew to the songs, Claudio La Penna battles with the black and white men of the keyboards, and Luca Di Pardo strives to provide a percussive commentary to all this.

The result is really good. Guitar solos are never forced and never dirty. The bass lines are interesting, and the melodies at some passages are even experimental. Between an Iberian incipit and a mockery of telemarketing to ridicule the shame of the most sordid materialism, the guys know what they're doing, and that's important. The influences are evident, but I think that this is completely normal, and anyway, it's always better to listen to a work influenced by Radiohead, Notwist, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, in addition to a skillfully constructed metric than influences produced by the mass of various types of separated trash, which is not plastic, iron, paper, organic waste, but crappy plastic, scrap metal, and Carta.

The If escaped to Spain to make themselves understood and are proving their worth. There is no Sao Remos festival there to springboard any garbage, and no programs like "Amigos de Maria De Felipe," which materializes trash. The If have gathered their burden and are playing with real passion. Try listening to them, and you'll realize that there's still a bit of new music that can be listened to.