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Reviews

Instant Curtain — Let Tear Us Apart
(Bandcamp no#, 2020, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2021-12-09

Let Tear Us Apart Cover art

When I first saw the name of this new Italian band, I wondered if they might favor a Canterbury sound, as their name made me think of two songs by Matching Mole: “Instant Pussy” and “Signed Curtain.” And then there’s the album title, Let Tear Us Apart, which clearly consists of English words but makes no sense and is not even grammatical — and also brings to mind the famous Joy Division song “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” If you look at the band’s Youtube page, they list the album as Let Us Tear Apart, which makes a bit more sense but is clearly not what’s printed on the album cover. All of that left me confused before I even listened to the music, and reinforced my view that lyricists whose native language is not English should exercise caution. But on to the music... This band has an interesting take on progressive rock, with good melodies and a kind of openness to the arrangements that does at times hint at Canterbury. The group is a four-piece featuring Giuseppe Petrucci (guitar), Fabrizio Paggi (bass), Carlo Maria Marchionni (drums), and Massimo Gerini (vocals). There’s a fair amount of keyboard work on the album as well, with organ, electric piano, synthesizer, and Mellotron popping up, though I’ve been unable to find any credits for who is responsible. The compositions are consistently engaging, with all musicians contributing admirably on their instruments. Many sections are built around guitar arpeggios (sometimes combined with keyboards playing similar parts), which adds a delicacy to the music and contrasts nicely with the bass and drums with their rhythmic drive. There are generally several more guitar parts involved as well, with tasty lead lines and countermelodies that sometimes remind me of Phil Miller. Gerini has a strong and pleasant voice, and it’s mixed just right so that the melodies come through while leaving the lyrics a bit mysterious. There are times when the English words do come through, and they’re often on the awkward side, delivered with a moderately strong accent. But I have no difficulty ignoring the lyrics and enjoying the music. Marchionni’s jazzy touch on the drums provides a lot of interest, with subtle accents and imaginative fills, and Paggi’s bass work is strong as well. For native English speakers, I would urge you to get beyond the linguistic oddities of this album and just enjoy the music, which is a fine example of modern progressive rock.

Filed under: New releases, 2020 releases

Related artist(s): Instant Curtain

More info
http://instantcurtain.bandcamp.com

 

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