La Municipál
B side

And who would have ever thought that the much-hated Spotify AutoPlay, which is supposed to recommend songs "similar" to one's listening habits but have nothing in common, could finally recommend a decent track? Perhaps it will be the exception that proves the rule, but after "Verità Supposte" by Caparezza, I find myself catapulted into an opposite mood both for style and genre, and the funny thing is that at the moment I didn't even notice this jump through space and time (Interstellar, step aside).

So here I am listening to the Municipál and their guitar arpeggios opening "Cartoline di fine estate." I am frankly curious and don't "skip"; the drums and second guitar kick in, and I'm already in the mood. The arrangement reminds me quite clearly of Vinicio Capossela, but it has a distinctive personality, accompanied by a simple yet very effective text sung by Carmine Tundo in the verses and masterfully supported by his sister Isabella in the chorus. It all blends into an ethereal yet dark atmosphere. I think, "Oh, good, these Municipál, I wonder if they've done anything else..." And indeed, I wasn't wrong, so I start listening to the album containing the track, called B side.

The expectations were high, but I'm slightly disappointed because, after the sparkling start where the quality is very high, it then goes into a vicious cycle where every lyric becomes monothematic (love struggles, what a novelty) and quite sparse in terms of dialogue and allegory. The musical arrangements, always very well done, lose out because they are not supported by the lyrics, and in the long run, listening becomes tiring, even though the album lasts just under 40 minutes. In the second track, "come ci fotte l'amore," we definitely find one of the most radio-friendly tracks ever, where the atmosphere is exactly that of well-crafted pop. Throughout the album, the contribution of bass and drums is very elaborate, and this is one of the tracks where they are most inspired.

So far my attention is high, but it starts to wane with "risvegli," where, indeed, I begin to notice the textual gaps but thanks to an excellent variation of musical dynamics, the track flows smoothly and after a dark start becomes euphoric (in the style of Resurrection by The Temper Trap, even though we are at much higher levels there).

It continues with Lampadine, another light track that leaves nothing at the end of listening, followed by a series of filler tracks that frankly do not convince, with the exception of the good "più veloce di me." At the end of the album, it comes down to this... What remains with me from this listening? Surely I expected much, much more; I remain satisfied with the music, truly excellent, even though it fundamentally changes little or nothing in style throughout the work. Some historical albums teach us how even very short interludes are capable of letting the listener breathe, which is essential for the success of an album. I take as an example a work completely at the opposite end of the spectrum, like Master of Reality by Black Sabbath, where tracks like Embryo or Solitude or Orchid are irreplaceable as they can break the atmosphere.

The singers are also very good, especially the female voice, and this duo from Galatina certainly has untapped potential; we will hear more about them.

I still recommend listening to the album, rating 6.5