Valentina Dorme
La Carne

Two bullets and three drops of blood, dark, profound and cultured songwriting; Valentina Dorme are back to tell us stories featuring, especially, women: sensual and treacherous, accomplices of hidden loves and causes of obsessions.

Mario Pigozzo Favero's writing is, as always, excellent, now characteristic thanks to the use of quotes of characters, places, and times, as well as his distinctive terminology. The guitars are knives by the handle; in the opening "Un nome di fantasma" they arpeggiate stealthily, accompanying an almost solemn voice, then transform into pitches of tar when the story thickens with doubts; here the drums lay foundations and violins create a sharp atmosphere, just as in "I girasoli", where they shatter it following a delicate background and a gentle piano incipit. "Benedetto davvero" has an incessant rhythm, reminiscent of the deep rock of Marlene Kuntz, which is often echoed in the group's discography, also present here in the smoky and furious "Siracusa e le stelle".

Throughout much of the album, there is a sprinkling of pop, mature and perfectly blended with the dark sounds of the guitars. In "Il terzo uomo" the chimes, harmonica, and jaunty rhythm bring to mind Pecksniff, but the guitar interludes create an ornate tone that crescendos at the end. Here we find traces of 90s American indie rock, Pavement and Modest Mouse above all, as in "Giulia Bentley in estate", the continuation of "Claudia Cardinale da giovane", where demonstrated by the sharp, almost orchestral, closing climax; while "La buonanotte in francese", is reminiscent of the Pixies through and through. "Marco Ferreri" is another track with a pop background, if it weren't for the decadent guitars in the hectic finale soaked with sax wails. The beautiful "Trieste centrale", with a nod to Ludovico Van, and "Olimpiadi salesiani" are the album's strong points, along with the opening track. The latter, in particular, is transgressive in its lyrics and the suspense it creates; it floats on calm waves of notes and words, then a tsunami overwhelms everything in the agonistic apotheosis of land and sand, of blood and sand, of sperm and sand. "Io non sono forte" is the concluding declaration.

Poetic pauses, ornate reprises, mature lyrics, wonderful melodies and suspended climates; enjoy listening...