Le Vibrazioni
Officine Meccaniche

Many of us might have thought, upon first seeing Le Vibrazioni: "Ah, this is the usual emerging band that has signed a contract with a major label, selling out to commercial music"; such an impression was even stronger when seeing them live, noticing the huge difference in style compared to their studio albums. Now with this new "Officine Meccaniche," we finally have confirmation of what the true face of this group is.

From a graphic perspective, this work is very 70's... a cover that vaguely recalls the iconography of Pink Floyd, a CD that resembles a reel complete with magnetic tape, a booklet with images of a studio with not exactly digital equipment... in fact, the recording was done entirely in analog (on tape, in a few words); and this requires a certain technical skill in playing since it's tricky and more costly to make corrections with this system.

The impression is confirmed when listening: the songs are all very instrumentally driven, guitar, bass, drums, vocals, Hammond keyboards and nothing else. It opens with "Fermi senza Forma," powerful yet melodic at the same time. It's followed by "Sai," a very driving track with sharp funky guitars. Then come two classic "slow ones," the single "Se" and the sweet "Dimmi"... preparing for the psychedelic "Introduzione ad uno stato di distacco dal reale," a clear and evident tribute to Pink Floyd and that entire period. The next two tracks ("Portami Via" and "L'inganno del Potere") are the most interesting, reminiscent of both Led Zeppelin and more contemporary atmospheres akin to Marlene Kuntz. Afterward, the atmosphere turns more relaxed and soothing with "L'altro giorno che verrà," ideal for dreaming a bit, maybe in pairs... but only a little because "Drammaturgia" immediately bursts in, both unsettling and intriguing (vaguely reminiscent of Litfiba's "Cane"). And finally, the intense "Eclettica," which starts slow, then suddenly changes rhythm, gradually fading out amid voice and guitar distortions, and acoustic arpeggios (as in every respectable album, there's also a ghost track, but you'll discover and enjoy this on your own, let's just say it's very on the road...).

In short, this work won't bring anything new to music as it draws from an already well-mined and explored genre; it's worth adding that the lyrics are not always up to the mark and certainly won't touch the heart... but at least these 10 songs will make for an enjoyable hour for all us 70's rock aficionados (yes, alright, this is another commercial operation and we've fallen for it, but in the end, who cares?).