FEBO

A long, strange trip

The story of L'Estate di San Martino (ESM) is a strange one. They always seemed to take the long way home so to speak. Born in Umbria in the mid 1970s, the band worked at various projects for several years with some line-up changes until beginning work on their first conceptual album "Alder" in the early '80s. The band would fold for a decade and Alder would not come out for over two decades. They reassembled in the early 90s to work on their second concept album "Febo" and found a period of great creativity. And yet again, that work would sit unfinished until 2007 before coming back to life. In the meantime, sadly, guitarist Adolfo Broegg would pass away in 2006. His presence on Febo is felt on "Memoria," one of the album's emotional highlights. It is a Broegg guitar composition largely (though not a solo) from the 1993 sessions and it is gorgeous.

Describing the sound of ESM brings one word to mind for me..tasteful. Febo is immaculate in production, presentation, and performance. Like a more refined version of Alder, Febo is graceful, elegant, beautiful pastoral prog. Combining a mesh of classic Italian prog sounds (think PFM, Celeste) with a bit of Genesis and Neo-Prog influence, Febo delivers an album of mature, thoughtful music with a breezy and dreamy feel to the tracks. They have a lovely sound wall comprised of a nearly constant blend of smooth acoustic or electric guitars over peaceful keyboards, with a thick mellow bass presence and good but fairly low-key drumming. They will highlight their sound with occasional sax and delightful flute, or classical guitar interlude. Vocals are quite good and mostly male, though guest Conny Rausch delivers a thoroughly enchanting female vocal on "Animarum Mare." They really excel at creating spacious atmospheres that are relaxing and peaceful. All are outstanding musicians who listen to each other and deliver their parts with the greatest of care to the piece at hand. To present an opposing view one could say their sound is a bit middle-aged, a bit too pretty and laid back, with not enough bite to really grab today's prog fan used to Steven Wilson hooks and prog metal throb. It's true enough that ESM will not please these folks but they are not out to. As their motto says they are pursuing "an idea which comes back. A constant rethinking about what it (they) wrote and made into music and the desire to see another season. It's an idea which lives through its deep roots like it imagined 30 years ago." ESM is still searching for something and we are simply offered the chance to witness their personal story and their beautiful music.and it truly is beautiful.

I am somewhat confused about the album's thematic content. The booklet tells an interesting story about a teenager dubbed Febo(y) who spends more time concerned with technology and the buzz of downloading than what the music is actually all about. (This is presented in the short track "Download" where you can hear him listening to sample bits very briefly.) He listens to a little of everything, hitting track after track without finishing any, thinking he can know the track by hearing the first few seconds. Our shallow boy then has an epiphany after finding Italian music and the band called ESM of all things. He finally begins to really *listen* to the music and lives happily ever after. What confuses me is that the lengthy story seems to have little to do with the songs lyrics which are mostly visions of life and emotions through the pastoral filter. I'm probably just missing the point. In any case, for those of us don't understand Italian lyrics the magic is in the music anyway. Febo delivers music that is at times just achingly beautiful.and that's the impression I would most leave with you.

All in all, Alder and Febo make a nice pair (I prefer the latter due to the much improved sound quality) that will please any lover of pastoral, pretty prog like Camel, Willowglass, some Genesis stuff, etc.. The BTF/Vinyl Magic minis are spectacular, with high quality paper gatefold sleeves, paper inner sleeves, booklets with bios and lyrics, and fine artwork.

After a brief period of quiet on the Italian front, there seems to be a flurry of activity from the land of the Azzuri. Many of us at PA are already actively raving about Il Bacio della Medusa's second album; while the new Höstsonaten, Moongarden, No Sound, Ubi Maior, Minstrel, even the long dormant Grimalkin are all getting into collections everywhere. Our esteemed finnforest AKA the Italo-prog bloodhound is seeking out new gems for us to enjoy and savor. He recently reviewed this album by L'Estato di San Martino and within days, I found it foraging through a bin in a prog store in Trois- Rivières, Québec! What a joy it is when you tremblingly land on something in store that you are looking for (not having to rely on mail-order , aaah, the old days!). This is another fine example of the more refined Italian school of Prog, closer to the pastoral beauty of Errata Corrige, Celeste, Loccanda delle Fate and Aries. Dual acoustic guitars (6 & 12 string), superb vocals with a passionate delivery from Marco Pentericci who also blows some sax and flute, massed ivories of various keyboard textures, all held in check with the usual solid last line of Italian defense: volleying bass and exquisite kicking drums (including some electronic percussion). We enter with a brief soft gust from the flute, abetted by some twanging acoustic guitar, setting a mellow mood. Track 2 is a downloadable collage of the main themes. So just skip to next (a nuisance to us flow freaks but it's just a button). The first real track is Alpha and what an instrumental ride this is! A groping bass riff lays down a confident path for some fine piano, guitar interplay, pushed along by some active stick 'n skins work. "Anni Tempora" is the first song, Marco expressing a romantic memory thanks a deft piano leading the way, with electronic strings curtains draping the melody, then a gentle whistling synthesizer bridge that evolves into a more somber mood, where percussion and guitar arpeggios coalesce with admirable restraint, with sampled thunder but no rain. Simply superb. "Amoris Odoris" raises the heat somewhat, with Marco's shrouded vocals remindful of Le Orme's Aldo Tagliapietra, while the organ dictates and Ant Phillips-like guitar rings frantically. "Mater" continues toward slightly more theatrical climes, proposing hushed singing with almost minimalist passages eschewing any bombast, preferring a sultry jazz piano, brushed drums and a suddenly appearing acoustic guitar solo full of bright splendor to heighten the drama. "Nubes" is a succinct guitar lullaby, so typically lyrical and gentle, just like cottony clouds. "Memoria", an instrumental studio track from 1993 features the bright acoustic guitar of a deceased former member of the group, Alfredo Broegg, whose showcase here is one for the ages, a glittering exhibition of grace and technique within this slowly building 8 minute masterpiece. Again, there are hints of Ant Phillips lingering in the background, as well as a resourceful synth solo from Stefano Tofi finished off by an electric solo that just adds even more fire to the glowing arrangement. Definite highpoint as well as a poignant tribute, very classy. "Laetitia" is another Mauro Formica bass grooved piece, giving the impulse for some heartfelt singing by our Marco, massed keys suggesting a slight symphonic feel with a little soprano sax tossed in for good measure. "Animarum Mare" is another high point on this disc in large part due to the inspired guest female vocals of Conny Rausch, who sings alternately in English, Italian and German with a haunting style, very minimalist arrangements with piano, soprano sax and double bass providing the musical setting. Wow! The 7 and a half minute finale "Sole" is another inspired, almost punchy foray into a more typical ISP epic full of spirited playing and singing, certainly more upbeat than most of the other material here. All in all, another phenomenal and original testimonial from the ever productive Mediterranean prog paradise. 4 stirred martinis

The release of the documental ''Alder'' was the precursor of a new start for L' Estate di San Martino.However the band had to face the sudden loss of guitarist Adolfo Broegg and the recordings of the new album included the guitar piece ''Memoria'' recorded by Broegg in 1993, just about when the band tried to make a comeback after a decade of silence.The new album ''Febo'' was released in 2007 again on BTF and it was once more a concept work around a teenage boy, who was a genius of computer science.

The group had to be emotionally charged with the loss of Broegg and this seems to had a great impact on the new album, which sounds as series of tight, atmospheric and laid-back pieces full with intense Italian vocals and dreamy soundscapes.Stylistically L' Estate di San Martino never abandoned the soft symphonic style of their early years, they just colored their sound with more emotional moments and more sensitive songwriting, while the instrumental themes were a bit limited.There are some pretty nice changes between acoustic soundscapes and electric passages, always melodic and filled with very good vocal work.The sound sometimes evokes the 80's/90's works of CAMEL on the melodic arrangements, laid-back compositions with very intense and deeply esoteric researches.Synthesizers, piano, flutes and light saxes are also present to add specific moods and the atmosphere on the instrumental themes sometimes even flirts with New Age music.Do not get dissapointed though, because the music will strike your emotions at once (and indeed ''Memoria'' with Broegg on guitars is simply great), while a few tracks are grounded in the old-school symphonic style like the organ/guitar-driven ''Amoris Odores'', the synth-driven and highly melodic ''Laetitia'' or the closing rich-sounding ''Sole''.

A nice discovery for fans of CAMEL-esque melodic and quite soft Progressive Rock, which lacks dynamics, but contains a heavy amount of emotional-driven compositions.Warmly recommended.