Hailing from the small city of Castel Goffredo in Northern Italy, Italian Psych Garage band Bee Bee Sea release their latest album `Stanzini Can Be Allright` this month, a tribute to the nearly eponymous song by American punk band the Gizmos, `Midwest can be allright.` It is their first album in five years since `Day Ripper`.
About the album the band have said that “It’s still garage rock, but it expands broadly, embracing diverse influences with a distinctly personal style and plenty of nuances. In our own way, maybe unconsciously at first, we let ourselves be inspired by this, too. And Stanzini is just that: a parallel universe, a creative force born to fill in what might be missing for a few kids from a provincial town. From a garage turned into a rehearsal space, Stanzini took shape-a musical collective that creates and develops projects far from the hype of the big cities.”
The album opens with `Holy Money` a wonderful rolling rhythmic earworm that has an almost seventies glam rock vibe to it. We have a clash between the fear of flying and the reckless joy of the after-party with `Keep It Cool` which chugs along with a jittery and irregular mindset yielding some enticing dissonant guitar riffs on route.
`Memories Of Another Life` has an alluring melodic dreaminess while `You` races along with some hyper drums guiding us through. I read that it`s “about that moment when affection fades, when someone you once loved starts to drive you crazy.”
`Angels` is another fast paced offering with pounding drums, a driving bass line, fuzzy guitar riffs and questioning vocals. The sixty four seconds of `Angel In Church` does exude a sense of the divine or a piousness during its short lifespan.
Inspired by an unhinged Noel Gallagher rant and born in a foggy town no one writes about the trio of numbers entitled `It’s All About The Slow Music`, `It’s All About The Music` and `It’s All About The Fast Music` were part of a three track concept EP where the band defined them as One song, three lives. A punk opera from Castel Goffredo. Relaxed, mid controlled and hurried is what I’d call these appealing tunes. There`s a kind of grunginess to Keep It Slow” which is delightfully hazy and vague in equal measures.
`Time & Time` is an out and out indie rock number which musically has a real swagger and a vocal delivery that betrays not arrogance but confidence. I got really drawn into this composition and towards the end was drifting off as it became almost hypnotic. The album closes with `Stop Elastico` and after a web search I discovered that the term “stop elastico” refers to a specific combination of two football (soccer) skill moves: the fake shot stop followed immediately by an elastico (also known as a “flip-flap”). This sequence is primarily used to deceive a defender and create space. A final mellow submission with some minor twists and turns as it evolves.
Wilson Wilson, Giacomo Parisio and Andrea Onofrio who are Bee Bee Sea have produced an album in `Stanzini Can Be Allright` that with a few plays will have you, if not singing but mumbling along to as it develops and progresses. A release with a summery vibe that brought a warm glow to a dreary Autumnal day.
Rating 8.5/10
