Subsonica
8

"You didn't manage to replicate Microchip Emozionale"

Samuel Romano and company have heard it many times, so many times that they included the phrase in the chorus of "Benzina ogoshi", one of the best tracks from that "Eden" which in 2011 marked the rebirth of a band that seemed irretrievably lost. After that work, another album ("Una Nave In Una Foresta") was sufficient but not memorable, and a two-year hiatus saw the band members in various more or less successful solo projects.

Four years after the last work, the now historic Turin band returns with this new "8" (obviously their eighth studio album), in a completely changed Italian music scene, with It Pop now a well-established trend and a heavy tendency to revive the increasingly lamented ’90s (somewhat following the revival of the ’80s that exploded in the ’00s). There was therefore a lot of curiosity about this project, especially regarding the sonic path taken by Samuel, Boosta, and company.

The five Turinese, to answer the question, opt for an even more international sound than in the past, and entrust the mixing to the Italian transplanted to London, Marta Salogni, chosen by none other than Bjork for her latest studio work. And the result is evident, as in terms of sound it is the best album from the Piedmontese band; the sounds are clearer and more distinct than ever, everything flows smoothly, organically, and is perfectly enjoyable.

And what about the path taken? It’s easily said: it starts from where it all began, with a series of fast-paced and frantic tracks that recall the much-loved Subsonica of "Microchip Emozionale" and "Amorematico" ("Jolly Roger", the second single "Punto critico" and a "Fenice" that seems like a sequel to "Colpo di pistola", in addition to the only collaboration on the album, with Willie Peyote for "L'incubo") and then goes on to give a glimpse of a hypothetical future.

In this sense, the beautiful "L'incredibile performance di un uomo morto" (almost Radiohead-like), the tribute to the late Carlo Rossi in "Le onde" (which starts with piano and voice to progressively grow) and a "Respirare" which is the track closest in sound to the current and booming It Pop trend stand out. The lead single "Bottiglie Rotte" is a convincing nod to the underrated "Terrestre", while "Cieli in fiamme" hits hard again and gives us the most aggressive track of the lot.

In conclusion, a good album, which clearly does not cause cries of miracle (it’s pretentious to expect who knows what from a band that has already given so much) but relaunches Subsonica to a good level and confirms them as reliable veterans of a once again fermenting scene, with a quality level that is (unfortunately) sometimes questionable.

Best track: Fenice