One of the things I like about reviewing the acts and bands that fly under the radar of the mainstream is the variation that comes from being the result of the creative process rather than bowing to what the fanbase wants or an exercise in keeping the record label happy. Success is measured in the quality of the final product rather than the units sold or downloaded.
I get to hear music that moves me, that energises and some that have the power to excite but what do you do when the whole purpose of the music is to not excite you?
Alessandro Incorvaia is an Italian musician currently living in London and he has written and produced a collection of music that is more about reflection, that paints vast soundscapes that are more soundtrack than singles.
Written during 2021 in a period where burnout had mixed with depression, the music is understated, melancholic but also intentional and has a calming tone to them. This isn’t music to listen to whilst tackling your personal best on a 5k run! But in those quieter moments of reflection or – dare I say it – meditation, this music will take on a new life.
Can you dance to it? No. Can you give it to your teenage daughter to stand in front of the mirror with a hairbrush? No. But if you want something with a little more depth and a more ‘grown up’ feel, you might do well to grab a copy.
The music is built upon a foundation of layers of synths, guitars and keyboards with any solid percussion being reserved for track 3. It’s dreamy with moments of solitude, which makes the whole album feel very personal and individual, it reminded me of looking at a Salvador Dali painting, there is something going on in the wide expanse but you need to dig it out, you need to almost let yourself go and allow your mind to wander.
It’s brave, thoughtful and intelligent and perhaps that is what new music should be.
