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Rating: Historical cycles: in the eighties, it was the Joy Division. At the beginning of the 2000s, the second wave of dark-wave came along, spearheaded by Interpol and Editors. Today, the Italian spokespeople for the wave outflow, seasoned with distant post-punk echoes, are called Talk to Her, a young band from Este, made up of Riccardo Massaro (bass), Stefano Murrone (guitar), Francesco Zambon (drums), and Andrea Visaggio (vocals and synth).
Yesterday evening, miss Bluebelle was on a trip to the Cultural Laboratory I'M in Abano, a renowned spa town in the Euganean Hills, in the province of Padua, to attend the release party for the presentation of the EP "Home", their first studio work after a few years of mainly live activity.
The album, whose debut is scheduled for March 2, is the new product of the small but vibrant Venetian indie-label Shyrec, a creation lovingly nurtured by several of my old friends, which boasts about thirteen years of activity, characterized by hard work and even economic sacrifices, rewarded not so much by financial gain, but by the satisfaction of having given voice to some of the most interesting musical realities of the lagoon hinterland, and beyond (Kill Your Boyfriend, Wora Wora Washington, Zabrisky , and The White Mega Giant, just to name a few).
The label boasts a varied and interesting catalog, where the common denominator is the great passion for music, combined with competence and enthusiasm in promoting Italian groups dedicated to "underground" sounds, which unfortunately in our country are not destined to find space in venues capable of ensuring greater visibility, as would be desirable.
The boys of Talk to Her, who in a sort of concept vision have centered the album's contents on an ideal circular journey, which starts from home and then returns there, stopping along the way between alienation and malaise and escapes from reality, to discover that no reality exists, must be said to know their stuff, despite being very young. They cut their teeth by participating in various noteworthy "other music" festivals in Northern Italy and contests dedicated to emerging indie young bands, where they achieved excellent recognition (I particularly mention the "Arezzo Wave Band Veneto" and the "Rise Festival", where they placed second in 2016 at the Battle of Bands).
During last night's concert, opened by Thalos, an interesting wide-ranging electronic music project accompanied by video projections, Talk to Her stood out for their energy and the appeal of Andrea's voice, with its deep and evocative timbre, very seductive and rich, truly a cold burn.
The four tracks of the EP followed smoothly, with great satisfaction from the audience that crowded the small cultural laboratory hosting the event. Standing out among all was "Zodiac", the EP's opener, in exceptional pre-sale, which in its minimalism presents moments of sensual appeal from a smoky, dark dance floor, as in the best tradition of the genre.
Overall, the sounds are very honest and direct, a modern and updated reinterpretation of the best names of historical new wave: impossible for me not to think of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, with moments akin to Mission and Sisters of Mercy, but set in the current historical moment. Groups to which these guys certainly pay tribute, despite having likely seen the light when the first new wave was already breaking, but without flattery or emulation spirit, with their peculiar underlying freshness.
I recommend them to those who appreciate Joy Division and the best Editors and Interpol.
The evening concluded with the DJ set of Checco Merdez, another cult character of the local music scene, with whom I practically grew up, who made twenty-year-olds dance with a strange mix of Smiths, Interpol, lame songs of Rettore, and desperate loves of Nada! Peculiar musical tastes, this new generation.
As for me, I found myself catapulted for almost the whole evening right back into my golden period, the one where I roamed around clubs and concerts, labeled as "the darkling," drinking beers and thinking that no, there would be no future, just a very long night.
Instead, I find myself still attending release parties where they now address me formally at the entrance, at least until I take off my hat and the kid in turn, who could be my son, sees the tufts of pink-violet hair peeking out and, reassured, switches to a more casual and informal "you".
And chatting and drinking all evening with young underpaid journalists from historic leftist papers who, counting about ten years less than me and enthralled by my amusing musical anecdotes of the glorious times gone by, try to win me over by offering me some alcoholic drink (which I end up paying for, because I feel sorry to take advantage of their scarce finances) and try to impress me by telling me that they started listening to Metallica and Napalm Death, only to move on to other, more refined genres.
Consistently drawing, with their naivety, many smiles of pure amusement from me: maybe it’s because in the darkness of Talk to Her’s music my survivor wrinkles are not so noticeable.
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