HOMUNCULUS RES

I'm not sure where I'd rank this in their catalogue. Five studio albums over ten years. The debut is my favourite and the only one of theirs in my Canterbury top 30 list but the second one is right there too. I also really liked the album before this one I'm reviewing today but these guys are consistently good. The thing about the debut is the melancholy. The first track on that one is an example of the style they would focus on in the future, that bright and happy sound but that cd always impresses me, in fact I listened to it last night for comparison sake. Their best in my opinion.

There's something like 15 guests on here helping out so lots of sounds coming and going, nothing new here with this band as they always have had plenty of guests filling out their sound. We get some brief distorted organ on the opener but my top four begins with tracks four and five. That fourth track opens and closes with some innovation I'll say that with their usual sound in between but those cool ideas make this stand out in a positive way to me. The next one "Fine Del Mondo" just has this steady flow of sounds and the guitar solos a couple of times both when the singer steps aside.

The final two tracks on the album make up the last of my top four. "Fiume Dell'oblio" just sounds different early on and in fact is a bit of an odd-ball track ending with someone whistling the melody of this song in the shower. The closer is the longest by far at just over 10 minutes and it opens with a feel good vibe before turning somewhat silly after 2 minutes but at 4 1/2 minutes it settles right down to a spacey mood before building with vocal melodies. Kind of haunting actually. Strings too and experimental. Soundscape music! Yes this band can surprise.

Easily 4 stars and more joy to experience this holiday season.

ECCO L'IMPERO DEI DOPPI SENSI (Here Is The Empire Of Double Meanings) finds the band in fine form cranking out its knotty progressive rock compositions flavored with Canterbury textures a la influential bands such as Soft Machine, Hatfield & The North as well as fellow Italians Picchio dal Pozzo but also capturing a more liberal sense of compositional freedom with Zappa-esque improv as well as a stronger emphasis on melodies that seem to take inspiration form the classic symphonic Italian prog greats ranging from PFM and Banco to Arti & Mestieri. ECCO features a new batch of ten tracks that excel at crafting an instantly infectious connection laced with all those proggy hairpin turns that screams sophistication!

What's new here? Well i'm detecting some serious Stereolab grooves in many sections of ECCO. The middle track "Fine Del Mondo" feels right out of the Stereolab playbook with a Kraut inspired grooviness all decorated with jazzy regalia. Lots of Beatle-esque harmonies in jazz-pop form also find their way into much of the playing time of this new release. A noticeably warm and fuzzy album, ECCO features not only the five members playing the usual rock instrumentation but also includes a whopping 15 guest musicians and vocalists to give the album a larger than life feel.

Laced with a series of ever-changing ideas teased into instantly likable melodic constructs. HOMUNCULUS RES has developed a keen sense of taking pop-infused melodies and twisting them into a digestible prog format which works quite well indeed. Somehow the band has with apparent ease mastered the technique of accessible Canterbury complexities something that requires a major musical mastery which is perhaps why so few dare to tread the sacred Canterbury Scene stomping grounds. Another amazing accomplishment is how well this band has integrated the Italian language into the Canterbury rhythmic flow which is a successful hybridizing effect that sounds closer to the actually classic Canterbury of the 70s even more so than Picchio dal Pozzo.

This new album is actually very fun as it features a bouncy rock that really connects me to the 70s although it doesn't sound anything like other Canterbury bands. The vocals remind me of Pink Floyd or Alan Parsons Project a lot although in Italian. This is one of those joyful almost celebratory albums that excels in the Canterbury whimsical traditions of previous decades. Sicily is a lucky place for having spawned such a wonderful band that has taken England's least tread upon niche of jazz-rock to its own little world of its making. Also at only 50 minutes of playing time it's not too long as albums can be these days. It's very retro in many regards but also feels fresh and updated for the new millennium. Not a masterpiece but an excellent slice of unorthodox Canterbury jazz prog.

1. "Il gran finale" (3:52) the music here retains the spry Canterbury feel and sound palette of the band's stupendous debut, Limiti all'eguauglianza della parte con il tutto, but the songs are more streamlined with longer working passages instead of the short and frequent time and thematic shifts; they're polished and mature, more listener- friendly, but not quite as quirky and fun as the former. (8.75/10)

2. "Quintessenza la la la" (6:06) a song that seems to parody music in all of the silliness of its seriousness--both the singing/lyrics and the music. Quite fun and funny! (8.875/10)

3. "Il bello e il cattivo tempo" (3:52) opens like a BEACH BOYS song from the 1960s. It's nicely melodic and flows very smoothly, but he music kind of drags as it is obvious that the lyrics are meant to be the focus. (8.75/10)

4. "Viaggio astrale di una polpetta" (5:17) this jazzier piece sounds very much like a MUFFINS/DAVE NEWHOUSE composition with some shifts into GRYPHON territory due to the recorders et al. until Emanuele Sterbini's vocals enter in the final third. Interesting! (8.75/10)

5. "Fine del mondo" (4:07) one of the more quirky, funny songs on the album--even the instrumental sound choices are often humorous/silly. (8.875/10)

6. "Pentagono" (5:23) a slowly hypnotic Math Rock kind of song evolves into something quite melodic as the vocalists sing and harmonize in the second minute. The upright piano sound used gives the song a bar- or school-room feel to it. A top three song for me. (9/10)

7. "Parole e numeri" (3:05) this slowed down number is unusually plodding but supremely melodic and engaging, simple but beautiful. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

8. "Cinque sensi" (4:00) very cool upbeat and cheerful song again of a simpler form and structure, it's just too charming to not love. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

9. "Fiume dell'Oblio" (4:15) a bit of the avant and Sgt. Pepper-like psychedelic mixed into the straightforward simple pop forms. Still, there is so much lovable quirk and uniquity here as to make my smile creases crack. And Andrea Cusumano is quite the whistler! My fourth top three song. (9/10)

10. "Doppi sensi" (10:04) As if Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello dropped in to help compose and produce a collage of great unconventional chord progressions and melodies while using a number of whimsical, ever-changing time signatures. Then, at 4:50 Robert Wyatt and John Lennon step in to direct, creating a dreamy musical playground in which even children can roam around and play. While I like both halves, the first is definitely more to my liking. (18/20)

Total Time: 50:01

While I like this album a lot--it has really grown on me--I still idolize that debut album more than any of the band's others. Here the music is often simpler, engaging the listener for longer stretches of time, but the band have done an excellent job of reclaiming the quirk and humor so naturally championed by that first album--something that has not always remained constant in their other three albums.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully entertaining Canterbury Styled progressive rock music--one that every prog lover should check out for themselves.

10/19/23 Addendum: As songs from this album have continually popped up on my 2023 playlist over the past four months I've been surprised to keep picking up myriad subtleties and nuances that make me comprehend how deceptively masterful these compositions are: there is SO MUCH more here than what meets the ear upon initial listenings. Therefore, I'm bumping this one up to full masterpiece status!

"Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi" is the name of the new album, and here, the band successfully brings a combination of Canterbury that perfectly implements elements of psychedelia, tinged with jazz and progressive, but also gives a dose of pop from the sixties. Ironic and oblique, evocative but also meticulous, the compositions represent a perfect union of the aforementioned styles. All these are elements of fundamental importance for the sonic alchemy of the band. A production where pop, prog rock and jazz sensibilities are combined with a pinch of avant-garde with that sound that is typically English, but a dose of RPI also appears. The album is cleverly constructed, basically like a journey through time from the late sixties to the mid- seventies. It is important to say that the band found a perfect compositional balance and presented a transitional style between pop cheerfulness and hippie-psychedelic lightness.

So we have songs that are a little simpler, pleasant and innocent, but also the complexity and expressiveness of the music increases, and the prog elements become more prominent from song to song. One of the most important things are the well-known prog stylistic spices: odd bars, syncopation, slanted harmonies, and complex - multi-part song structure. None of the compositions are wild or aggressive, but they have sinister, strange and challenging elements. In all this, it is important to note that at no point do the songs seem overloaded, it doesn't get really heavy and really weird either, but a little fiddly in some places. The entire album is presented in a fantastic way. The whole band is constantly in great shape both on a strictly technical level and in terms of compositional taste. The solo interventions are never boring, on the contrary, they sound agile and liquid. The pieces flow rapidly alternating valuable instrumental sections, halfway between jazz/prog technique and some caressing folk references, with fantastically sung sections. Homunculus Res demonstrated all their technical and compositional skills by expanding and perfecting a personal style, jazzy but not frigid, romantic and ironic, psychedelic and colorful, but equally lucid and reasoned in every arrangement. They have succeeded in the feat of having a complex and at the same time easily assimilable sound, refined but not excessively bizarre. Pulsating intersection of jazz-rock, fairy-tale cues, an entirely "Italian" taste for melodic hooks, celestial keyboard elevations, prog leaps, pop minimalism, surreal visions, all this is inserted in a musical context, loading each piece with strangeness, layering the arrangements, zigzagging the melodic paths. The emotional vortex balances, between stylistic changes and overall themes, and all this translates into notes and sounds and presents an excellent fusion of joy and melancholy. The music is intelligent, every element is fantastically implemented, and this is a really high-quality work.

I've been a fan of Homunculus res since 2020, when they had just released "ANDIAMO IN GIRO DI NOTTE E CI CONSUMIAMO NEL FUOCO" so I was really excited waiting for a new album and here it is! I'm far from being a music expert but I think this may be their best effort, I love the absolute marvellous melodies they've created, the full album works so well, from beginning to end. I'ts impressive how it's hard to find any distinguishable highlights because the whole album it's just so good! Also the album cover by Dario D'Alessandro... just amazing as always.

Thanks Homunculus res for making music, y'all may not have many fans but those who are here like me really appreciate what you've made.

Homunculus Res, then, have somewhat subverted prog tropes. Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco (We Go around at Night and Consume Ourselves in the Fire) is Homunculus Res's fourth full-length release. This Sicilian quintet plays a variety of progressive rock strongly inspired by the Canterbury scene. The sound of the Canterbury scene was intensely English, and that's why it was so surprising to find an Italian act in that vein.

Andiamo opens in a jazzy manner, with "Lucciole per lanterne" ("Fireflies for Lanterns") featuring light guitar strumming and saxophone. Before long, though, a cascade of keyboard tones?organ, synthesizers, and clavinet?fill in the auditory space. The organ tones especially pay homage to Caravan and Soft Machine. "Il Carrozzone" ("The Caravan") continues with lush synth tones embellished with silky sax lines over unusual rhythms. Even the vocal delivery is reminiscent of Robert Wyatt's distinct style.

"Buco nero" ("Black Hole") is bouncy, light, and summery, in stark contrast to its rather grim lyrics. (Thanks, Google Translate!) "Supermercato" ("Supermarket") features some of Homunculus Res's most Italian moments, with a reeds-brass-and-strings arrangement in its second half, before "La Spia" ("The Spy") enters with a fittingly slinky, sneaky electric piano heartbeat.

Even this album's darkest moments?the opening moments of "La Salamandra" ("The Salamander")?are relatively light. Buzzy electric organ is the lead instrument here, and there are some great instrumental excursions. "In girum" ("The Roundabout") is mostly instrumental and highlights interplay between a biting, funky bass and rich, warbling synthesizers.

Andiamo closes on something of an odd note. "Non dire no" ("Don't Say No") works in its role as the record's finale, but stripped of that context, it's not quite strong enough to stand in isolation. It's slow-moving and based around a waltz rhythm. Layers of keyboards gradually build up with flute and bassoon adding more textural depth.

The particular brand of keyboard-forward, jazz-infused, Canterbury-style prog is not exactly common nowadays. And when I do run across acts that play it, they frequently run the risk of sounding derivative or simply paling in comparison to the original founders of the scene. Homunculus Res largely succeeded at paying homage to the big names of the Canterbury scene while also making something distinct. The frequent inclusion of classical instruments helps to keep the sound diverse and engaging, while the classic keyboard tones work to evoke an era of prog, not blindly ape it.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2020/08/31/album-review-homunculus-res-andiamo-in-giro-di-notte-e-ci-consumiamo-nel-fuoco/

I just feel the first two were more consistent and it's interesting that this is their first album of the four they have released not to have Ske on here helping out as he did on their first three. Lots of guests still, in fact ten adding viola, clarinet, oboe, french horn, vibes, bassoon, sax, flute, electric piano and more. Ten tracks over 48 minutes and I did feel it waned somewhat early in the second half but this is a solid 4 star recording all the way.

By the way it was interesting having Dave Newhouse from THE MUFFINS and Jarrod Gosling from REGAL WORM helping out on that second record which at the time I reviewed it I said I liked it slightly better than the debut. Well in doing my favourite Canterbury albums of all time it was the debut I picked for that list so in my opinion both are essential. I love the cover art for this one and have found their album art to always be at least interesting.

All the lyrics are in Italian including all the info in the liner notes. That opening number might be the most joyful song they've created. Everyone is just so happy. The dissonant sax is a nice contrast to this. I like the vocal melodies after 6 minutes on the third tune and while that fourth song might sound the most Canterbury it also features viola, oboe and french horn. One of my favourite opening sounds is the sixth track and the guest electric piano on the ninth song is really good.

A solid 4 stars and for Canterbury fans.

There's a more modern approach to things, which is very refreshing. Bright and clear classic-sounding instrumentation, too. This approach reminds me most immediately of BEARDFISH. Most tracks are light and upbeat, yet skillfully presented. And being inspired by the Canterbury Scene, everything is so well balanced, each part distinguishable immediately. Another phenomenal current Prog band that comes to mind (see also my note below for "Tetraktys") is ONCE AND FUTURE BAND. [Please, nobody tell my buddies who introduced them to me how "low" their ratings are.]

The surprise banjo on "Buco nero" is so nice! Very unexpected. The featured banjo performer is also responsible for some guitars, double bass and vibraphone, all on this same track! Amazing.

Other sort of surprises to me include "Supermercato", which sounds like if Caravan had even more of a Pop Rock slant. The static vocal melodies even remind me of something that we might expect from Richard SINCLAIR early on in his career. In the least, a fun track. It's been a while for me, but couldn't the end of this track be a sort of callback to GRYPHON? Sort of Canterbury-meets-Ren'-Prog? On "La spia", the backend picks up with a very... unexpected Island(?!) vibe? It sounds pretty good. Just surprising. In other news, "In girum" is... just kinda weird lol. Pretty good though, I guess haha. Not a bad song on here. The middle of the album is a bit weak compared to the top and bottom.

And speaking of the bottom, things swing back into form, I think, on "La Luccicanza" to start the end to the album. Great melody and chord changes. Really, very nice. Again, classic Canterbury! And a weird, reharmonized homage to "Hey Jude"?! I'll take it! "Tetraktys" continues this positive swing back to "great" with what feels like EGG. I love me my Dave STEWART, so I'm all for it.

Personal Standout Tracks: T1, T3, T9

On the flip side I find the songs to be to short, far to many songs in the 1-2 minute range and to the best of my knowledge they don't segue into another so their just really short songs. The songs sound to much like a rough sketch, like the music is compositionally incomplete. I definitely think some of the songs should have been strung together to form longer complete pieces rather then the brief pieces to often presented here. I also don't think the singer is quite as good as on follow up efforts, it's less confident, might just be the mixing.

Overall this is a solid album but I think some of their later albums are a lot better though.

Most of the songs are pretty good, though I find many to be in indistinct and forgettable. Generally speaking the songs are short, maxing out at 6:43 but this time is spent pretty well, the songs all have vocals, done in a manner reminiscent of Richard Sinclair without going so far as to be considered imitative.

Overall while this is a good album, I find if a few tracks had been removed, extended and some redone as instrumentals the album would be a lot better. If you like chill bands like Supersister or Hatfield And The North then give this a spin. Canterbury Sound Score 5/5