STORIA DI UN MINUTO

This was my first foray into the RPI scene, and I definitely feel I received a very positive introduction that has motivated me to delve further into it. This album is very accessible, conveys many interesting and deep moods, has stellar musicianship, and presents strong, memorable melodies. The balance on this album between each member is also superior as each voice stands out appropriately as you can tell it was meant to. This helps maximize returns on future listens and bolsters the already strong melodies.

The focal point of each song is its thematic concepts, which I greatly appreciate. That's something I listen to with great preference, so their writing style appeals to me greatly. In addition to that, another obvious feature is the ability to evoke multiple styles effectively, even within the same track. Take, for instance, Dove... Quando Pt. II, in which the more classically-driven section gives way to a more energetic jazz-tinged passage. In spite of the direct, even abrupt shift, because the thematic content is still perceptible, it doesn't become too jarring. In fact, it serves as a great balancing mechanic. This new energy is very welcome and arrives just in time before the track becomes stale. As a whole, the willingness to exploit multiple styles, no matter how disjointed they may seem on the surface, even within the same track, demonstrates the tremendous amount of compositional skill and boldness this group brings to the table. I highly admire that quality.

The group's instrumentation is very noteworthy as well. From the keyboard-driven passages of Impressioni di Settembre and E' Festa to the precise horn and intricate bass parts featured in the closer and my favorite track on the album Grazie Davvero, we are treated to highly memorable sonic textures that catapult the power and feeling behind each player's material to a whole new expressive plane.

This is a milestone album and a wonderful starting point into this band's catalog and the RPI scene as a whole. Aside from a few dull, dragging passages in the second-last track La Carrozza di Hans, I enjoyed every minute of this release. Those few stale moments may hold it back from true masterpiece status in my opinion, but no other substantial detracting details come to mind. I give this album a strong 4.5 and am very much looking forward to hearing more from this undeniably talented group of accomplished musicians.