The
Octopus Tree is the second album by Miss Patty Miss & The
Magic Circle, a band from Bologna led by vocalist Patrizia Urbani
whose roots date back to 2005. It was released in 2014 on the
independent label Irma Records, four years after the debut album New
Eclipse. The line up on this new work features Patrizia Urbani
(vocals, acoustic guitar), Silvia Telloli (piano, synth, Moog,
backing vocals), Antonino Stella (electric and acoustic guitar),
Massimo Tarozzi (bass) and Christian Di Maggio (drums, percussion).
Along the years the musicians have honed their skills with a good
live activity on the local scene and the result of their hard work is a nice album of
classic rock tinged with psychedelia with no overtly complex tracks
nor adventurous suites but never banal nor too openly derivative.
The
excellent opener "Alchimia intenzionale" (Intentional
alchemy) is sung in Italian and every now and again it reminds me of
the optical visions depicted by Fabrizio De Andrè in his album Non
al denaro, non all'amore né al cielo. It describes an
unconventional, colourful form of soaring happiness where colours and
perfumes are mixed in a lively psychedelic dance. Well, I think
that's a really pity that the band didn't exploit more their native
language...
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| On stage 2011 |
Next
comes the dark, suggestive "Come Into My Silence". The
soaring vocals warn you about an impending danger while casting a
spell on you... Here the hieratic voice of Patrizia Urbani reminds
me of the rock priestess Patty Smith. The following "Cold"
is a wonderful visionary track describing the coldness of a world
full of social differences and merciless businesslike attitudes...
You would prefer to be a flower or a leaf softly floating in the wind
or a little bird but you're nothing but a human being fighting with
the cold.
The
frenzied "Everchanging" veers to more modern sounds and in
some way reminds me slightly of Deborah Harry and Blondie. Then it's
the turn of the dreamy "By My Clock" and of the romantic,
heartfelt "Little Seed". With "Simple Fall" the
rhythm rises again and vintage sounds come back for a new, short
psychedelic ride before calm down on the notes of the following
"Promises", an acoustic ballad that reminds me slightly of
Fleetwood Mac.
A
nice psychedelic cover of Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan"
and another piece sung in Italian, the lively "Adesso no"
(Not now), close this fresh album full of colours and dreamy
atmospheres. Prog lovers could be disappointed by the lack of really
challenging compositions but if you like classic rock have a try and
judge by yourselves: you can listen to the complete album HERE.
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