The Black Heart Procession
Amore Del Tropico

THE REVIEW

From a band with this name, you certainly cannot expect the American counterpart to Casadei's smooth band.

Exactly! The San Diego combo with the first three albums, unimaginatively titled “1,” “2,” and “3,” has delivered splendid ballads with obscure and fascinating nocturnal atmospheres, an unmistakable trademark. However, the latest studio work by the Black Heart Procession represents an interesting evolution in the group's sound.

“Amore Del Tropico,” an album ideally conceived as the soundtrack for the noir thriller “Tropical Murder Mystery” created by the front-man Pall Jenkins himself, is a wonderful collection of songs that, without distorting the style and sound of TBHP, alternates the inevitable dark and slow sounds with sudden, more energetic and sunny variations.

With a dreamlike cinematic impact, the great curiosity to see the songs associated with the movie images, and greater accuracy in orchestral arrangement are the elements that most easily catch the ear.
The moving “Tropics Of Love” and “A Cry For Love” seem frozen in time; the former could be a classic from the Thirties with its swing and easy listening groove, while we wouldn't be surprised to find the latter in a Bacharach or Costello best-of album. The engaging “Broken World” and “The One Who Has Disappeared” are perfect as the backdrop for the poignant end of a love, whereas “Did You Wonder” and “Sympathy Crime” – with its amazing hypnotic groove – are perhaps the most striking evidence of a sound in strong growth.

“Amore Del Tropico” was created to remind us that after any night, the day will eventually come and that not all “black heart processions” are as long and tormented as they might appear.