We Are Waves
Labile

LA RECENSIONE

The Turinese band We Are Waves have always been inconsolable nostalgics, musicians and individuals who grew up with the seventies/80s sounds and are skilled disseminators of those sonic eras. If in the self-produced EP this characteristic was – partly – masked by their past "crossover" named Overock, in "Labile" it fully emerges in all its charm.

That the quartet has charisma and experience allowing them any kind of experimentation was already clear, but in this new work, what can I say, everything seems to be perfectly in its place. It’s thanks to a formation reduced to the bare minimum numerically but damn united in bringing this project forward, and that rare ability to stir emotions once they take up their instruments. Emotions indeed: “Labile” was conceived, nurtured, and grown precisely by them. A work where melancholy and nostalgia leave no escape, where the concept of the lyrics and the singing blend perfectly.

Musically, synths and electronics, compared to the debut EP, have gone from being appearances to true points of reference for the band, which loves to range and experiment without any fear, offering a sound that to call simply rock would be a bit rude given the efforts made. We could talk of New Wave just as that new electro-rave trend that's all the rage nowadays, of dark hues or anything else linked to the most emotional and visceral music, but nothing could help describe “Labile” like listening to this album firsthand.

The fact that they were produced in their early days by Marco Trentacoste definitely gave them the confidence needed to understand which paths to follow, leading them to release today what – at least for me – is a small masterpiece. Tracks like “Old Days” and “Emptiness Behind The Walls” enter directly into your head and unconsciously into your heart due to that passion that emerges in all its essence within a few listens. If you grew up with The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy and don't mind people like Nero and Trentemøller, go discover them on Spotify, Deezer, or any other streaming service. Here, there's an album – and a band – that deserves to be appreciated.