Lush Rimbaud
Action From The Basement

I admit I've always been a pathetic "internationalist."

Since I was young, I've had an inherent preference for everything that had little to do with Italian familiarity. Whether it was comics, games, or anything else, my attention was immediately drawn to names with consonants unknown to the Italian language. K, J, X seemed so exotic, and I already believed that everything that came from "outside" was inherently better. Unfortunately, this internationalist snobbery has taken root in my musical choices.

Spending words on an Italian band, moreover almost unknown outside their native Marche, is a bit strange even for me. But I've had the fortune to witness the musical evolution of the Lush Rimbaud in the past 5 years, and this new "Action From The Basement" has finally convinced me of their talent.

The Lush Rimbaud well represent the new wave of Italian music: rooted in their territory, yet with eyes and ears wide open to what's happening worldwide. They also represent a generation raised hand in hand with downloading, with an almost infinite setlist available at their fingertips. Elements that have now reduced the gap between USA and UK musical productions compared to the rest of the world.

This is to say that the Lush Rimbaud sound very little "Italian" both for the choice of singing in English and for their musical references. Even the initial title track delimits the territory to which they belong: obsessive synth, square drumming, and pronounced bass. A cross between motorik rhythm from Neu! school and the wave-like Oneida. Interesting are the post-punk outbursts in "Are You Sure That Totally Insured Means Totally Insured?", the Fugazi-like "Bus Stop Owner" and "Handjob From The Doorman", or the straight rock'n'roll of "Brain Fitness". An honorable mention goes to the best track on the album, the concluding "Flashing Elevator", a long instrumental excursion, led by a cavernous Joy Division bass, punctuated by scraping Fugazi guitars and hypnotized by a sick synth.

So fight those easy internationalist fascinations and take a tour on their MySpace page. You might be pleasantly surprised.