Arpia is an Italian band founded in 1984. Racconto d’Inverno is their third studio-album after Liberazione (1995) and Terramare (2006). The band consists of singer Paolo Feraiorni, acoustic guitarist Fabio Brait, drummer Aldo Orazi and Leonardo Bonetti, the most important man in Arpia. He wrote all the compositions, plays acoustic guitar, bass guitar and keyboards and he sings the lead vocals as well. Racconto d’Inverno is a concept album based on a novel written by Bonetti. Most songs are acoustic and sung in Italian. The album lacks any guitar or keyboard solo; the musical style is mainly singer/songwriter. The music of Arpia does certainly not belong to any traditional prog rock trend whatsoever. Bonetti’s voice and the acoustic guitars dominate the first part of the album, but sometimes Paolo Feraiorni sings the verses. A kind of dramatic and sad atmosphere dominates the second part. Positive aspects are the crystal clear production and the nice voices of both Leonardo and Paolo. Well, if you understand the Italian language and if you like easy listening, while sitting on a couch with your girlfriend on a quiet autumn evening with a glass of wine, than this album will do. However, if you expect traditional prog rock with fluent guitar solos, than you certainly will be disappointed. ** Cor Smeets (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
