IL GIOCO IMPERFETTO

No need to have studied Italian for years to translate PLENILUNIO; even a baby could do it! This is the third album for this transalpine quintet, which has existed since 1977. It was the final album for our musician friends, originally from ACQUI TERME in PIEDMONT, a town very close to ASTI for those who want a geographical and wine-growing reference.

1977 was also the swan song of the Golden Age of progressive music in Italy and elsewhere. ELP, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, and others were at the height of their powers, while newer bands arrived at the wrong time and struggled to find their place, and that's saying something... The CAMPARO siblings, with the collaboration of Davide PRONZATO on guitar and Roberto MAGGIOTTO on drums, opted for the name PLENILUNIO to continue their dream, so to speak. Over time, after departures and returns, the Piedmontese band now seems to have stabilized. Not having heard PLENILUNIO's first two albums (2012 and 2017), I embarked on a listening journey to "Il Gioco Imperfetto" with chaste ears.

With PLENILUNIO, we're more on the progressive pop trail than on the often steep paths of transalpine symphonic progressive. To be clear and provide references, let's mention ASIA from the British and LE ORME from the mid- seventies ("Verita Nascoste"/"Storia o Leggenda"). Admit it, we could find much worse; closer to home, NATHAN's debut album can serve as a benchmark.

There's nothing to criticize on this record, which is less than forty-five minutes long (by a hair's breadth). Fortunately, you might say, in the words of today's youth, "it's a breeze."

What are the most recommendable pieces from this "Il Gioco Imperfetto"? In order of the opus, the opening track "L'Aquilone"; the fifth and somewhat folky (especially in its first two minutes) "Diariodi Bordo"; the next and very brilliant instrumental "Voci del Vento" (the highlight of the work); the reference to NATHAN's "Nebulosa" is strongly marked here; the seventh "Tutte le colpe che ho" is very LE ORME, as mentioned above. Roberto MAGGIOTTO sings as well as Aldo, albeit with a deeper voice (a welcome classical guitar part played by Riccardo PRONZATO); and finally, the eighth "Loro" (LE ORME too.....in all honesty, it feels like you're there; the structure of the piece is unmistakably reminiscent of him).

A small downside for the whole album, most of the pieces end too suddenly for my taste...Valter, some small instrumental developments for the next album ?

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