Banjo Or Freakout Banjo or Freakout (Memphis Industries)
3/5
By: Andrew Misuraca
Banjo or Freakout, the eponymous first album proper from Italian born Hackney transplant Alessio Natalizia, comes at you like a floating electric hammock; bright and colourful yet hazy and calmly beguiling.
Opener ‘105’ sounds a little like Animal Collective covering James Iha and is a fine starting point, especially when followed by the steady rolling simplicity of ‘Go Ahead’ with its washy synths and ambient melodies floating around the pop ether but with third track ‘Can’t Be Mad for Nothing’ comes a sudden sense of limbless suspense, like you’ve just noticed that hammock is indeed floating... and now moving...
The album continues in such a manner, fitting and starting but never quite climaxing, which is an absolute shame because with standout tracks such as the masterful ‘Idiot Rain’ and authoritative ‘Black Scratches’ come moments of such rare promise which place it streets ahead of your standard East London fare, like this is actually about the music and not the haircuts.
The problem with the album is that Natalizia seems intent on straddling the space between soundscapes and bedroom pop. Not necessarily a bad thing but some of the tracks come across as unfinished Animal Collective songs, but then it’s hardly surprising as it was produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors). But, on that same token I couldn’t really get into anything before Feels and everything since has burrowed its way into various chambers of my heart.
On the whole Banjo or Freakout is the sound of an artist finding his feet – and he’s making some great steps.
Banjo or Freakout by Banjo or Freakout
Andrew Misuraca
Artists in this article: Banjo or Freakout
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