Iride
Casa

A couple of premises. Iride are the band of Alessio, a known troublemaker on the site. So whoever reads these lines might think that I'm taking a side (or the other, it's indifferent). In fact, it took me many weeks before I started jotting them down. Paradoxically, it seems normal for a music magazine to review the album of a band whose record label has bought an advertising page of the same (Digression: a famous Italian band scored a nice 9/10 for their latest release in the February issue of a magazine that focuses on alternative rock, and who has the advertisement on the last page? Since I hate conspiracy theories, I only have some doubts: I saw them live once and after ten minutes I was at the bar). Being the average DeBaserian, pure and uncompromising, I was already imagining the firing squad. In any case, Ale didn’t promise me anything, not even a pastiera. He just sent me the first full-length of his band because he wanted my opinion. Considering that the Italian bands I love, he despises (and vice versa), I don't understand why. But here it is.

It's worth immediately mentioning that with the aforementioned idiosyncrasies (and the slight nausea that all emerging Italian bands give me), I was ready to overlook it (unfortunately CDs are difficult to recycle). And instead... a pleasant surprise.

Iride are a trio: guitar, bass, and drums. The bassist also sings. What kind of music do they play? A sort of post-rock with a Chicago influence. I think. But Louisville isn't far. Or maybe it's Washington. They remind me of Jawbox, but I'm shooting in the dark here, as I don't even have one of their records at home. The production is entrusted to Giulio Favero, formerly of One Dimensional Man, now with Teatro degli Orrori.

The positives. The songs are short (ten songs in twenty-eight minutes). The rhythms are broken, changing often, as is common these days. But without too much force, and therefore everything keeps a nice pace. It's definitely music more about muscle than brain, but fortunately without too much testosterone. The instrumental digressions, more than one very effective, especially the final one of "Guglielmo II", are absolutely superb. The biggest virtue, it seems to me, is that Iride resemble many things without resembling any one thing too much (and this, I believe, is the best compliment a debut Italian band could receive).

What I don't like. The singing, first and foremost. Too monotone and simply accompanying the melody already outlined by the instruments. The lyrics are hard to understand. It takes courage to sing in Italian, no doubt about it, and it's difficult. But what you have to say must come through. Here I barely understand, and remember almost nothing.

In cauda venenum. The best piece is the song that closes the album, "d'IO". And it doesn't have much to do with the rest. An acoustic ballad, intimate and suspended. Sorrowful. I exaggerate, but not too much, by saying that it is the best Italian song I've heard this year (along with "Il Paese è Reale", of course).

Finally, Iride can, indeed must, improve. The doors are open, and that's what matters. Give them more than one listen, they deserve it (on the band's website, in space, you can also download the CD for free). Give them a chance, and then let me know. Every opinion is welcome.

For M: I still haven't learned how to write length, and I always check...