Surprise, surprise,
here's finally an " Album of the month" coming from Italy ! You need
to go back as far as late '95 to find another one on a Rockomondo playlist
( " Aria" by Flor). But to be honest, it's our fault, because this is
actually Yuppie Flu's third album and - to our great shame - we totally
overlooked the previous two.
Although Yuppie Flu's
composite sound builds up on foundations laid in the USA by people like
Mercury Rev ( "Deserter's Song") and The Flaming Lips ( " The Soft Bulletin"),
there is also a distinctive European feel to their music. At times,
it is a light and inventive electronic trickery that underlines the
songs and brings to mind German bands like Tarwater and The Notwist.
At others, a soft psychedelic touch, redolent of Wales' mavericks Gorky's
Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals. As good as these bands are, this
can't be enough to explain the outstanding quality of this album . Walking
on others people's lanes is rarely considered as a positive point. But,
fortunately, Yuppie Flu are clever and talented enough to transcend
these references and turn them in something of their own. Thanks to
the sheer melodic appeal that graces their music, the subtle emboidery
of the arrangements, and the restrained yet affecting vocals by mainman
Matteo Agostinelli, they manage to offer far more than just the sum
of their influences.
Gently soaring on
delicate arrangements and a sad, bewetching tune, the opening-track
Drained by Diamonds maps its emotional landscape with the palette
of a watercolour painter. It merges suddenly into the more fleshy, but
nonetheless impressive Food For Ants ( the single), a short,
compact number that brings to light the band's most conspicuous side.
Actually, this arresting introduction is only a taster for what is yet
to come. All along the subtle mix of acoustics and electronics of Spring
To Downcomers and Eyes Of Dazzling Bright, the jubilant chorus
of banjo-driven All That Shines, the sweet psychedelia of Dreamed
Frontier, or the baroque and more upfront Silverdeer ( a
serious contender for 2nd single status), Yuppie Flu's pleasantly trendy
soundscape displays an undeniable charm. But more than this, it's their
knack for stellar melodies that lingers in the end, giving to " Days
Before the Day" its classic, timeless quality.
As the wonderfully
hushed Now And On closes the album on a subdued note, bolstered
with a swell tune that breaks your heart then vanishes, it is clear
that Italy has just added another masterpiece to its rich artistic heritage.
Visit now !
YUPPIE FLU:
http://www.yuppieflu.net/
BOOKING: LOCUSTA
http://www.locusta.net/
LABEL :
http://www.homesleep.it/