Queimada
The Moocher

For once, I'm making an exception to (my) rule of not doing introductions of this kind in a review to explain why I wanted to duplicate this one. I noticed that the previous review was dated September 2, 2007, which means more than two years ago, and considering the few comments below it, I thought that publishing another review would benefit the band. I'm writing it primarily for this reason, to bring to the attention of the users a very talented band that truly deserves it, the Queimada, and secondarily because my review is organized track-by-track as opposed to the previous review, which I still commend because it is very well written.

I discovered the Queimada in 2007 when they won that year's edition of Fuoritempo, a summer music competition in Fabriano (AN), my city. The following year, they returned out of competition to perform the closing concert of the 2008 event. On that occasion, the band gifted us (me and my friends) a copy of their debut album, "The Moocher". When I listened to it, I was surprised: this is a truly talented band. 

After a very brief introduction ("Time For..."), the first real song, "Coffee Break", begins, with excellent vocals by singer Mariella Ranieri and bass by Roberto Tisbo: these two will be constants throughout the album. The very careful use of effects also deserves praise, yielding very pleasing results. It moves on to "Beautiful Girl", a classic alternative rock with a good solo by guitarist Michele Franchini (nothing transcendental technically, but very measured and without unnecessary show-off). The fourth track, "About Your Name", boasts lyrics by drummer Dario Di Mella and once again an amazing bass line supporting Ranieri's voice. The psychedelic finale with voice overdubs is beautiful and unexpected, really a great idea to enliven a piece that, although good, risked being somewhat repetitive. "Broken Doll" is one of the band's standout tracks and is indeed among the best on the record, with a chorus that really pumps and an excellent guitar/bass blend.

"In My Little World" opens with Mariella's voice whispering the title, before moving into a vaguely funky guitar riff that precedes the sung verses. Perfect are the delicate synth embellishments (played by Ranieri in this track) in the background, once again not intrusive. "Dud" is the least memorable track of "The Moocher," despite Tisbo's usual great bass work. Conversely, "Madness/Sadness" is among the best tracks on the album: a perfect blend of psychedelic verses, a crescendo leading to the chorus (with the vocal line and drums highlighting every beat), and the very unique outro. "It's No Good", track no.9, seems rather ordinary at first, but then the unexpected pauses at just the right moments, the vocal effects, and the brief guitar solos make it a great piece, among the most pleasant. The following "Sublingual Drops" presents itself as the most accessible track on the album, thanks to an excellent voice/guitar harmony in the verses and especially a catchy chorus that gets stuck in your head and doesn't go away. But, when you least expect it, the song stops. Did the stereo break? Not at all, everything is fine. After just a few seconds, the volume rises, and the song resumes: an excellent trick to make the song less predictable. The concluding "Waves" is initially a bluesy piece that then transforms into a good rock with Ranieri taking center stage.

Ultimately, "The Moocher" is an excellent album, maybe not five stars, but certainly no less than four. Noteworthy is also the excellent command of the English language and pronunciation by Mariella Ranieri, qualities not so common for Italians who sing in English, which add value to the album. Unless you live near Bari (the home city of the Queimada), I believe it's hard to find this album, but try because this is an excellent band with great potential.