Matia Bazar
Red Corner

Matia Bazar: "Red Corner"

The last album of Antonella Ruggiero with Matia Bazar is somewhat the sum of their styles which they have traversed over fifteen splendid years of career.

Compared to the past, there are fewer experimental elements and melancholy pervades almost the entire album. The beginning is striking, with the beautiful single "Stringimi" where Carlo Marrale's guitar returns to "roar", powerfully supported by a spine-tingling vocal crescendo from Antonella.

Sure, not all of the album's writing is that inspired, and at times it becomes overly affected ("Se tu", "Sentimentale", "Il mare") but there are still good songs. Starting with the retro and decadent atmosphere of "Besame" (which talks about AIDS), the rock-influenced "Caccia alle streghe", the twilight "Winnie" (featuring Edoardo Bennato on harmonica), the beautiful Ruggiero-Marrale vocal duet in "Cuba" (the warm voice of the guitarist is heard again on this album after several years of absence) and worthily closing the album is "Nell'era delle automobili", characterized by a beautiful instrumental tail.

The lyrics are curated by bassist Aldo Stellita, always elegant and evocative.