In his own words SOLO “is a project that ranges between genres: psychedelic music and grunge coexists with indie pop, art rock, shoegaze, electronic music, marching bands, musique concrète. The leitmotiv across the songs is experimentation (especially on sounds, thanks to a massive use of effects) and by intolerance towards the society in which we live today.” SOLO`s debut album `The importance of words (songs of love, anti-capitalism and mental illness)` is released this month. The lyrics are critical of the consumer society, inspired by the thoughts of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italian poet, film director, writer, screenwriter, actor and playwright, considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italian history. Naomi Klein, Canadian social activist, and filmmaker and also Noam Chomsky American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism.
The album opens with `Don`t Shoot the Piano Player` a fairly retro psychedelic pop number with some electronic bleeps spliced throughout. A track that is probably a metaphor on the phrase that refers to not blaming the wrong person. We enjoy a reminiscence on a childhood, adolescent first love and being too shy to really grasp the nettle with `Summer Fading (late love song)`. It evolves with the narrator in their thirties and wondering does this lost love ever think of them as the summer passes and they look back on times passed and opportunities missed .
`Hypocrisy (It`s all I see)` is a fairly stinging diatribe on people who pretend to espouse climate change, governmental change and environmental concerns as long as it doesn`t effect their comfortable life style. We have a spoken word segment with `What’s the topic of the day (forget the rest)` which features Alidavid.
`Propaganda in my eyes, again (you’re erased)` is a fast paced punk tinged rock out with a funky bass line that alludes to information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view. We have a fairly reflective and deep perspective on life, it trials but also its beauty on `Something (you don’t need)` a quite dreamy melodic listen.
`Emotional (e)states` is a brief piece of aural experimentation and might be better accompanying a video. I really liked `Look out (consumerism will consume you)` it had a part psychedelic rock vibe with lyrics that kind of railed against capitalism but in a fairly off kilter style or manner.
`It`s propaganda time! (rejoice!)` is a sixty three second mismatch of sounds all competing to be heard. We close out with `In the end (nothing matters)` which runs at just over a minute and appears to be a sort of resignation that nothing nearly changes but it`s always worth trying to think outside the box regardless of what the media feeds you.
`The importance of words (songs of love, anti-capitalism and mental illness)` is a bizarre and curious offering but also extremely rewarding. It has it`s challenges at times which may be down to cultural differences, who knows but nevertheless it`s a worthwhile listen.
It runs at around the thirty minute mark so won`t take over your life to any significant degree.
Give it a blast and see what you think.
Rating 8/10
