SEVEN

It's not because you have a singer that has a voice similar to Peter Gabriel and a music similar to Genesis and IQ that you can deliver music of the same caliber. It's been a while that I have been impressed by one of their albums and this new album is not an exception. The second track "Disappearing Act" show a different sound more in the Depeche Mode electro atmosphere, it's not a bad song. The rest of the album is the typical The Watch, and with a band that is struggling to reach the greatness of the best Neo-Prog bands, IQ in particular, the composition level is not very high. You won't find any epic song where you can feel the progression of the melody through some tempo and mood changes, only the last track "After the Blast" give me some pleasure with some interesting instrumental passages. Not recommended, only to die-hard fans.

The Watch is the first Italian band that I have the opportunity to review, and I've chosen their seventh studio album Seven (my point of entry to their catalog) to do so. It is hard to deny the similarities both of Rosetti's voice and the band's sound in general to the Peter Gabriel-era of Genesis, however there's a malice and darkness to their overall proposal that reminds me a lot of early Marillion (Fish- era) too but just a little heavier and obscure. Seven is a single album, clocking below the 50mins mark and somehow easy listening. It opens with a very powerful and catchy Blackest Deeds and immediately the listener is submerged in a well produced 70's symphonic prog-inspired Neo Prog soundscape (if such a combination is even possible) with flawless guitar work, precise rhythmic section and beautifully crafted atmospheric keys. It is a different type of Neo prog, is heavier, more symphonic and slightly more complex, very haunting indeed. Disappearing Act is one of my favorites tracks from the album, the melodies, the lyrics, the initial mellowness that diverts the listener momentarily from the true colors of the experience, magnificent. Masks brings a different tone to the album, with faster tempo and less complex arrangements, more like the poppier side of the band but nevertheless enjoyable and somehow even memorable, I guess the guitar work kind of elevates a really good track. Copycat sits at the center of the musical journey, with a bright and elegant Marillion-like sound and teasing more with the mid 80's scene than the previous three tracks. Ups and downs, sometimes simple and sometimes not so, another highlight for me, one of those tracks that grows on the listener with every play. It's Only a Dream is a beautiful song, with that acoustic guitar leading the way to smartly created vocal melodies, more British sounding than Italian (my guess) so the love for something 'known' is basically immediate, a song that invites the listener to further listens. Tightrope is easily the best track of the album, at least to my ears. It has all the elements presented by the band in the previous tracks but unified in over 7mins of music. The melodies, the bouncing tempo, the adequate arrangements, the instrumentation delivered, all makes sense and gravitates around that unique sounding voice. Everything to love'. Least but not last, the closer' After the Blast, a song that if heard by itself without knowing who si singing/playing could be easily confused with any Peter Gabriel-era Genesis track' and that feeling stays, supported on the backing flute playing, until around the 2 and half minute mark when The Watch comes back in full force to fill the soundscape with their unique musical format and playing. A very neat way to put an end to the journey. I'm still digesting other gems from their catalog, in the meantime Seven is highly recommended! THE END