Meg
Psychodelice

"Psychodelice", the second work by Maria Di Donna, known as Meg, is recommended for those who are used to listening to music without prejudice. The Neapolitan artist has created an album that nods to the most artificial electronics but ultimately maintains a feminine soul that enriches it with comforting delicacy.

"Psychodelice" sounds best on a system capable of enhancing the multitude of sounds it is composed of; often not even melodic but hints of melodies that, when taken alone, mean nothing, yet skillfully glued together by DJ Stefano Fontana, they form a wonderfully pleasant multicolored collage. The beginning is dictated by the bass sounds that open "Distante," a catchy and captivating technopop song, a radio-worthy track of fine craftsmanship. On these fast and fluid sounds, "Running Fast" and "Promises" are built, tracks that flaunt a strong and well-calibrated electronic base. The sounds are never intrusive, instead, they are often relaxed, and after many listens, you can understand their intertwining and dissect their progression. As in Meg's debut album, in the tracks sung in Italian, she uses a particular timbre that closely resembles Bjork; there is a sophisticated search for the sound of the words that may irritate some listeners but is an interesting path, and Meg, even though inspired by the Icelandic artist, brings back to Italian music a way of weighing every sound that is fundamentally foreign to it. "Napoli Città Aperta" perfectly reflects this courageous search; weighing each word and giving it the right sound setting is a brave choice. The wordplay from the debut album disappears, and tracks like "Succhio Luce" and "Permesso?" are pleasant exercises in sound research.

Overall, "Psychodelice" is an album that sounds very good, is balanced, and well-played. Perhaps Meg hasn't yet completely detached from the reference artist (Bjork), but there are the foundations for a career of genuine interest, she just needs to bring out a bit more personality.

P.S.: the album's packaging is very beautiful, the use of fuchsia contrasted with the purity of white provides a particular and pleasant effect. Note that Meg releases under her own label, a courageous and unconventional choice that surely deserves the most heartfelt praises.