reviews
very powerful climb, with a particular and
almost esoteric closure. A record full of
energy and conviction, the new of Latente.
The theme of inadequacy, of “being always
feeling wrong” is developed with the right
combination of almost adolescent aggres-
sion and more mature passages, all seaso-
ned by some crazy variables.
latente
“monte meru”
Monte Meru is the new lp of Latente, a
conjunction between past and present,
after the ep “Un’altra faccia” (2010), the
debut album “Basta che restiamo vivi noi”
(2014) and the many live gigs that fol-
lowed. Monte Meru is affected by the expe-
riences that the four musicians have lived
in these years and incorporates listening
and influences that have led them to their
current dimension.
The first bite of
the album comes
with La mia stan-
za buia, filled with
rage and very rou-
gh rock sounds.
Stop and go intense
the ones on which
Nervi opens, then
going on with very
noisy electric evolutions. Fumare starts
slowly and then expands with power and
fire. The melodic lines of the song take
over, in this case, compared to aggressive
trends. Alchimie continues the race, with
some melancholy substrate and echoes
from classic Italian rock, leaving room for
a quasi-instrumental queue in the final. We
go back to the melodic and the dark atmo-
spheres with Brace, in a song, however,
capable of full explosions. Lucido decides
for minor tones and this time the tune ke-
eps itslef faithful to the premise, lowering
the vocals for once. Ti vengo a trovare pu-
shes on the accelerator, with the rhythmic
section, in particular, facing very personal
anguish. Accontentarsi è diventato facile
has high pace and grumbling ideas. Tre isa
transition song. Pp closes with Everest, a
kaufman
“belmondo”
16
Label INRI releases new album by Kauf-
man, Belmondo, a title that commemo-
rates Jean Paul, symbol of French Nouvel-
le Vague films and “last breath” life. The
band, led by Lorenzo “Kaufman” Lombardi,
presents eleven four-handed songs with
Alessandro Raina, produced by Luca Ser-
penti. The lp tells about “love in times of
anxiety and whatsapp blue tails”. But also
the themes dear to French cinema and
Italian songs: the end of summer, casual
encounters and concerts, the promises of
eternal love, the stories that end, the disco-
very of sex and the sense of the time that
passes and changes
things. Belmondo
starts from La feb-
bre, introduced by
electronic skirmishes
but then fluid in its
own, with an average
rhythm and veiled
by melancholy sensations. Mood does not
improve with Macchine volanti, but it
gains in pace, in science fiction dreams, in
Homeland is the debut of Kids on Nep-
tune, rock band from Forlì. Published by
Seahorse Recordings, Homeland contains
ten unpublished songs, entirely composed
of the trio and reflecting musical influen-
ces and style. The tracks are characterized
by rock sounds, deep low frequencies and
sharp guitars. Lp starts with Bodies in
lies, aggressive and direct but also able to
slow down when needed. More syncopa-
ted the rhythm of A collapse, also subject
to change of pace. Evolutions entrusted to
the electric guitar in A simple night. Chil-
dren of the Sun does own things calmly
and with echoes of post grunge, before
the inevitable sound
explosion. A deep
female voice introdu-
ces the darkness of
2_20. We get out of
darkness with Polish
state of mind, which
has more than one
reference to punk,
including speed. Not Even Sorry continues
in transmitting vibrations at sustained
rhythms and with good bass lines. Rhythm
slows down with the double negation of
Nothing But No One, a song with evoca-
tive qualities and vast atmospheres. She
will keep us alive resumes high rhythms,
with very lively drums and high-speed gui-
tars. Album closes with the title track Ho-
meland, opened by the drummer in mar-
tial mode and then with much power still
to be expressed in a song of many faces.
Although not kissed in the face by origina-
lity, the Kids on Neptune record deserves
to be heard because of its genuine energy.
De Gregori quotes and in original language
porn movies. Then comes L’età difficile,
already used as a single, with a cadenced
step mixed with electrical and electro-
nic impulses. Come si sta talks about love
and sex (again), with vintage rhythms and
synth pop feelings. Senza fiato starts off
with some detachment, especially in the
singing, but then the song gets passionate,
despite the synthetic sounds. We go back
to the melanchonic mood and the science
fict ion with Alpha Centauri, soft step and
gentle images. Rhythm runs a little more
on Il nostro proposito, a once-intimate
and “generalist” song (but it’s just a mask)
with atmospheres flirting with new wave
and synth pop. Cosmic and science fiction
filters through the notes of Adesso, which
does not hesitate to show even more soft
sides. There it comes Robert Smith, the
first single, also thanks to intense progres-
sion and quotes that refer (also) to Friday
I’m in Love of The Cure, used more as the
inspiration of the lyrics than as an effective
musical reference. Ragazzi di vita inste-
ad cites Pasolini, but from afar, widening
the look at ample sound atmospheres. It
closes with Animal meta sociali, the last
pop song in which the rhythm swells pro-
gressively, between synthetic motives and
internal contradictions. A good pop flavor
is present in all of Kaufman’s songs, but
without leaving a certain sense of elegance
and excellent writing quality, especially in
the lyrics.
Kids on neptune
“homeland”
17