Mutazione is the second
full length album by Forza Elettro Motrice (F.E.M.), a band from
Meda, Lombardy. It was self-released in 2018 with a renewed line up
featuring Alessandro Graziano (vocals, violin), Alberto Citterio
(keyboards), Paolo Colombo (electric guitar), Marco Buzzi (bass),
Pietro Bertoni (trumpet, trombone, euphonium, glockenspiel) and
Emanuele Borsati (drums, marimba, percussion, acoustic guitar). The
new vocalist is up to the task and the band confirms to have
excellent song-writing skills and great musicianship. The result of
their work is an interesting concept album about the end of a love
and the necessity of change that could recall in some way La Torre
dell'Alchimista's Neo and I'm sure that Italianprog lovers
will appreciate it.
The
opening track, “Il palazzo del chaos” (The Palace of Chaos), is
just a short instrumental introduction that leads to the following
“Io mi trasformo” (I'm Changing), a wonderful piece about the
need to continuously adapt to the constant changes that life throws
at us. The music and lyrics evoke the image of the protagonist
walking along a path aimlessly, lost in his thoughts. At a certain
point, as everything around him changes, the protagonist questions
his true essence. He becomes aware he’s changing instinctively,
almost without realising it, just as the world around him constantly
transforms. The protagonist understands that he must always act and
change, transforming himself to become what he really wants. So, he
becomes music...
“La
cura delle cose” (The care of things) is a bittersweet reflection
about how time can change a relationship if you don’t pay attention
to your partner. What we don’t take care of it is destined to get
lost and this is true in every aspect of our lives. It is also true
in love, it is a constant of life. Here the protagonist becomes aware
of a relationship that is fading outand
that we are nothing but the time we give to ourselves...
The
title of the following “Musica di vento” (Music of wind) is a pun
that means in the meantime Music of wind and I become
music. This track is a slow, dreamy ballad about the need to
write music and lyrics, expressing oneself through sounds and words
to those who care to listen to. The piece opens with the notes of a
piano, then the narrator explains that his songs are born without any
self-awareness, simply from the desire and pleasure of writing and
singing, a magic of thoughts full of meaning for those who can
appreciate them. But once written, these songs have a life of their
own, independent of the author. Who will listen to?
“Mai
tardi” (Never late) is a great instrumental track with some
funky-jazz passages and various changes of atmosphere. Then it’s
the turn of “Il cielo di sè” (The sky of our ego), a beautiful
piece, complex and heartfelt, describing the emotional turmoil and
uncertainty surrounding the end of a relationship. The protagonist is
alone under a cobalt-blue sky and he almost seems like a veil ready
to be blown away by the wind. The piece begins with a strummed
acoustic guitar part, then the music and lyrics take unexpected
paths. It's the beginning of an inner journey, with thoughts tangled
in nests of wind. Disappointments are like stones, but in the
protagonist's head there's a thin rainbow calling him and inviting
him to continue his journey...
“Attesa”
(Waiting) is a short, melancholic and dreamy piece for solo piano,
violin, and vocals. The music and lyrics evoke the furrows that time
carves into the protagonist's soul, sowing a dark and tormented wait.
The wait for a return to normality. Then it’s the turn of the
brilliant instrumental piece, “Mutazione” (Mutation) which at
times reminds me of Le Orme and marks the change in the
protagonist...
The
long, complex “Se
c’è una buona ragione” (If there’s a good reason) closes
the album. It begins with three minutes of sustained rhythm tinged
with electronica and a disorienting, filtered and distorted voice.
The piece then
evolves in other directions, leading to a finale that speaks to the
wind and recalls King Crimson. The
lyrics poetically reiterate the concept of the need for change and
evolution, even in personal relationships. Change is the future that
looms and calls for itself, and it shouldn't be feared. If there's a
good reason, change is necessary, even if it means breaking up with
your partner and ending a relationship. For the protagonist, the time
has come to accept change and move on without worrying about the end
of a love that still struggles to fade. The return to reality is
marked by the "voice" of a ticket machine...
On
the whole, a wonderful work, even if it needs reiterate spins and the
comprehension of the lyrics to be fully appreciated.
No comments:
Post a Comment