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Rating: Every week I get an email from the guys at Sbaraglio informing me about the concerts they organize. Every time I can, I go there, and beforehand I try to listen to something on the group’s website if possible, which by now has become a must for everyone. The Psychovox have their official website under maintenance, but they have their pretty page active on myspace.com, the world’s bible for those who play music these days.
If this possibility had been available when I was playing in the eighties, but that’s another story. I listened and downloaded the only track available “I padroni del mondo.” The track in question is exceedingly catchy, one of those refrains that get into your ears and never leave. The guitar riff intertwined with the bass and the balanced voice mixed well with a very full drum, ensures that by the second listen you find yourself humming it in the elevator or while walking with your head in the clouds. A track that gives a nod to the raw rock’n’roll, sometimes punk of Prozac +, or Moravagine, the Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti of Davide Toffolo.
With these sounds in mind, I went to the concert. I arrived at Sbaraglio, greeted Faz and Leo. A few chats with them and then I went straight to the stand to buy our CD. It’s just a 5-track EP, "La luce non ha ombre... " but the price is right. Shortly after, they started playing. I took a place in the front row. Aside from a few minor technical issues, the voice was a bit quiet and the guitar tended to drown out the others a bit and whistle during the pauses between songs, creating nonetheless a very indie sound effect. The synth was barely audible, in bursts between the echoes of the songs, but it gave the idea anyway.
Their tracks smoothly glided by, mixing genres upon genres. From Nirvana to Motorpsycho, from Dead Flowers to Ecstasy of St. Theresa or even the more inspired Pink Floyd, those of *Ummagumm*a or "More" just to give you a sense, with a few more acidic touches. It somehow reminded me of the early cries of Marlene Kuntz, but also the Giardini di Mirò, but there are at least dozens of other bands in their heads from which they draw inspiration without mimicking them. The aforementioned song comes up, and it really seems the most radio-friendly, the most perfectly formed, the most pop in the positive sense of the word. Also because all the others are stretched, elongated, psychedelic, with solos and phrases between instruments, perhaps the result of long improvisation sessions done together in the studio. The concert is a bit short for my taste, but very pleasant, the guys put their soul into it and you can feel it, the feelings and emotions are transmitted through the system’s speakers, and perhaps they would like and could delight us a little more, but then again at Sbaraglio as in many other venues now there’s the "noise" issue paired with the "schedule" paired with the "neighbor" complaining. Unfortunately.
On my way home, I listened to the CD, and I continued to do so in the following days. Five tracks, well played, well recorded. Everything is strictly self-produced, in fact, the Psychovox have no record label or distribution behind them, even though their sound project (or sonic as it used to be said) deserves to be produced and distributed far and wide across the peninsula, but maybe soon things will be different. Sooner or later, someone’s blocked ears will open to the new sounds.
They’ll be playing around again soon between Brianza and Milan, I recommend anyone who meets them to stop and listen, it’s worth it. I’ll be there if I can.
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