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Rating: Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse... this is what inevitably comes to mind when listening to "000577," the quasi-debut album by Negramaro, a sextet led by the voice of Giuliano Sangiorgi (composer of music and lyrics).
It's a quasi-debut because, in reality, the Salento band (which carries not only the name but also the strong and contrasting flavor of the typical wine from the far end of Apulia) had already released a self-produced CD containing all the now revised, corrected, and reproduced songs in a new CD enriched and enhanced with an innovative multimedia support.
Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse, I was saying... yes indeed, there's no doubt about it... the entire CD is permeated by that torment so dear to Thom Yorke... by that sensation of extreme inadequacy that leaks from the always melancholic sounds and the lyrics dense with metaphors.
In "Zanzare," the initial piano is literally submerged by the cutting guitar riffs (a peculiar characteristic of Matthew Bellamy)... "Mono" echoes "Uno" (Showbiz), even in the title. The warm and alluring atmospheres of Chris Martin can be found in "Come Sempre" (a typical ballad) and in "Genova 22" (inspired by the sad events of the G8 three years ago).
But then, you might ask, where's the originality of the work? Well, it depends on what is meant by originality. How many "Radiohead wannabe" bands have recently emerged in England, Norway, Sweden, and France? Quite a few, really quite a few. And how many have emerged in Italy? Who knows... is it a stretch to say none? So I think credit should be given to Negramaro for having challenged a canon that has now become indispensable in the European scene and for coming out of the challenge with an honest and certainly enjoyable work.
Essentially, "000577" is a CD where the ingredients are mixed very well. Obviously, some might wrinkle their noses... someone who perhaps always looks at Italian products with suspicion, but the quality is undeniable.
A special mention goes to "K-Money" (sharp even in its lyrics) which, with its highly distorted bass and the striking entrance of the guitars, takes the prize as my favorite, and to "Gommapiuma," which at times even reminds me of Afterhours and ends with an acid trumpet in the style of Tetes de Bois.
Chilling... sweet with a bitter aftertaste...
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
05 Zanzare (03:58)
che ora è?
quasi le tre…
tanto lo so
che io non dormirò.
mi gratto o no?
amica mia
t’ammazzerò!
semplice,
la notte ha mille occhi e
la senti scivolare se
trattieni il tuo respiro.
son già le tre!
qui a fianco c’è
chi come me
parla tra sé e sé.
non dorme più,
sta alla tv.
tranquillità…
semplice,
la notte ha mille occhi e
la senti scivolare se
trattieni il tuo respiro.
la senti che scivola?
la senti che scivola?
non senti che scivola?
la senti ?
la senti ?
la senti ?
la senti ?
semplice,
la notte ha i suoi colori e
li vedi così chiari se
dimentichi i rancori.
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