Iride
Vendesi Gruppo

The Iride are a dry, melodic, and ironic trio. They hail from Naples and are absolutely out of fashion. Their music draws from 80s-90s American rock, indie, and alternative with a hint of Joy Division combined with a tremendous passion for Italian singer-songwriters (primarily De Gregori and Gaetano).

Vendesi Gruppo, the aforementioned EP, is the result of four non-stop and tormented days of recordings. The sound is raw, leaning towards Low-Fi, accompanied by a DIY ethic and first-take success. The EP lasts a mere eighteen minutes and consists of five songs. It begins with "Papillon", three minutes and thirty-three seconds of pure and naive simplicity in search of pop melodies resting on pounding drums and approximate guitars; the voice seeks Pavement-like melodies. A good start, and as the lyrics say... a new era has begun, following the example of the Wipers. Then comes "Vivere & Scegliere", which starts with drums and vocals, joined by a funky riff from the bass and guitar, leading to Husker Du-style hardcore that gives way to a dark-toned chorus. All very tight. With the third song, "Forse è Meglio", we return to simplicity, this time characterized by genuine traits evoked by a somewhat melancholic, somewhat angry text. Noteworthy in this song is above all the verse traveling with drums, bass, and guitar in unison. Everything ends accelerated and a bit raucous. After "Forse è Meglio" comes "Noi", the longest track of the lot, beginning with a macabre bass riff followed immediately by the voice. The song has no structure. There is neither a chorus nor a verse. Like a stream of consciousness, it travels without caring for the destination. At times, "Noi" recalls Nirvana's Bleach until the guitar solo arrives, making an impact live. Here the Joy Division are again recalled, ending everything in a big, big mess. The EP ends with "d'IO". An acoustic piece lasting one minute and thirty-eight seconds that revisits Lou Barlow and his Sebadoh's miniaturized experiments. The tone is downcast, and the sadness rises.

A good debut by Iride, but in the rough recording, they do not fully reveal their potential, seeming always suspended between being serious or carefree. In short, it's unclear if they are three kids playing at being adults or adults pretending to be kids. Look for them on the WEB.