Yumma-re
Eden

I admit I had some difficulty approaching the review of this new work by Yumma-Re, a band from the province of Salerno that boasts, among other things, a victory at Arezzo Wave '97 in their résumé.

My feeling with the singer's voice and her English pronunciation was minimal from the start, but the rich sonic blend offered by the group, made of enveloping moods, electronic inserts, electric surges, explosions, and rarefactions, pushed me to continue listening without prejudice. Released at the end of January 2009 by My Kingdom Music, it is not a perfect work, nor is it extremely original, but it is strong for the most part of its 10 tracks, which is rare these days, especially for an Italian band.

The beginning is sumptuous, with "Babylon" starting quietly, then a trumpet calls to action and the track takes on the reggae offbeat, creating a truly compelling atmosphere, where sound shards emerging from who knows where enrich the whole. "Borderline" is also very beautiful, where dissonant guitars pair with a pulsating bass, effectively conveying an atmosphere of alienation and boundary crossing that culminates in a "rainy" finale. Typically late-trip-hop the sounds of "Revolution part. 1", much better are the poignant but fluid atmospheres of "My Dreams" where electronic inserts seem to rise like air bubbles, while the "nocturnal" trumpet singing fully opens the piece, making it soar. Remarkable also is "La negligence", with its slow and slacky pace, vaguely psychedelic, with a sharp contrast between the crystalline rhythm of reverberated guitar and the saturated inserts of electronics and guitars. Near the album's conclusion, "Try" with its circus-like atmospheres, the filtered voice (and yes, this one is very beautiful, by Don Guarino), whose only flaw is perhaps staying too "seated" and not opening up more, choosing the path of the psychedelic.

The main merit-fault of this album is having too rich a bouquet: at times psychedelic, then liquid, pop and rock. In short, cooked with many spices: the classic melting pot, of languages (sung in English, French, and Spanish), of musical styles (electronic, the most abrasive rock, trip-hop, and reggae). Undoubtedly, the band is there, they have great potential, let's take this as a starting point for a career that has already lasted more than ten years.