The first time I was confronted with Nosound was at a festival. And although they played well, I went home in a bad mood. It sounded so negative to me. The guys were very nice though and when I listened to one of the earlier records I liked what I heard. Now the band comes with their fifth album Scintilla. The sound has changed and that was exactly what bandleader and main composer Giancarlo Erra wanted; “simple, direct and minimal music with a rich sound”. He delivered that. I read all kinds of comments about this album. Some people didn't like it at all and others were very enthusiastic about it. I myself must say that I love it. It's not exactly music I would play in the car, but when you're at home and working a bit at your PC it's absolutely lovely. Or just sitting in the evening sun with a nice glass of wine (I did both), than this album is very at its place. The sound is loose with wonderful drums by Giulio Caneponi. Bass (Alessandro Luci) and keyboards (Marco Berni) do what they need to do and do it like Erra says more by feeling than technique, which is absolutely great. Giacarlo's guitar playing is as always wonderful. Pink Floyd like? Maybe, but it's very tasteful and with loads of feeling. Anathema's Vincent Cavanagh lends his voice to two of the album tracks: 'In Celebration Of Life' and 'The Perfect Wife'. Beautiful songs, but I wonder how they would have sounded without Cavangh's vocals. More important is the cello of Marianne de Castelaine. She adds a lot to the songs on which she's playing. Singer Andrea Chimenti co-wrote'Sogno E Incendio'. He also sings on that song. Highlights? The whole album is very OK to me, but if I have to name one, it's the final and title song Scintilla. Don't expect an album with big explosions of sound. Giancarlo Erra has his influences, but he also has his very own sound and on this album that's what it's all about. His very own sound. I would have loved to give this album five stars, but I can't do that. In my opinion the contribution of Vincent Cavanagh doesn't do it for me, I prefer the voice of Giancarlo. Same goes for Andrea Chimenti. Nice, but it disturbs more than it contributes. The cello of Marianne de Castelaine on the other hand is a very positive and beautiful addition to the sound of the band. For me, this is an album that will get a lot of spins. The recording quality is fantastic with a big big compliment for the sound of the drums and cymbals. The 'feel' of the album is warm and you can hear a lot of love went in the making of it. ****+ Arne van Os van den Abeelen (edited by Astrid de Ronde) Where to buy? |
