Here's a new Italian band Instant Curtain who are not lacking in ambition, their prime influence being the UK's Canterbury bands. Harnessing some of these classic sounds, they have successfully fused this with an Italian twist. The swirling guitar arpeggios of Giuseppe Petrucci are hypnotic on opener Reverse In The Sand, a song that weaves and winds, Massimo Gerini's light, airy and sometimes jazzy voice soaring high above in the mix. Tell The Tales, May I has a delicious laid-back groove, underpinned beautifully by the rhythm section comprising Fabrizio Paggi on bass and Carlo Maria Marchionni on drums. That lovely swirl of cultured guitar and tempered rhythms continue in The Beginning, a song which seems to effortlessly move along, evolving in its ever-shifting patterns and chord changes. The guitars get more jangly on All White, another lovely mellow song, that just rolls along in its own time and space. The Ship Battle Down sees voice and guitar working together in fantastic harmony, a piano and synthesiser also coming into the mix as the song builds and builds. In And The Rest Divide Us, Gerini's voice cuts through sharp and clear while a lovely rolling keyboard motif appears, together with another stunning understated John Petrucci guitar solo. More gorgeousness follows in Safe As The World, which would make a great single because of its slightly more commercial edge. Stay stays in the same musical territory, while closer April uplifts and delights. The songs of Let Tear Us Apart all inhabit the same musical territory, but there is a real stripped down, fresh, effortless feel to this album. It will be interesting to see how they follow it up. **** Alison Reijman Where to buy? |
