King Of The Opera 'Nothing Outstanding' Reviewed

Samuel Katarro introduces a musical project by the name of King Of The Opera. The Tuscan musician, better known as Alberto Mariotti, brings you ‘Nothing Outstanding.’ The album released less than a year ago, and even though I’m a little late on this one, I’m fortunate enough to get my hands on the album.

A collaboration of eight tracks beautifully blending in with each other. The title is well constructed, introducing a combination of genres including indie / soft rock, with a hint of psych-folk. The opening track ‘Fabriciborio’ welcomes you with the sweet sound of the guitar in soft loops, while the heart of the song is the drums. The track features a mellow sound that takes you through a field of emotions. A few seconds of soft but silent sounds creates a build up of emotions. While listening to ‘Nothing Outstanding’ you seem to get a sense of comfort / closure. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a breath of fresh air to listen to a collection of tracks that are in sync with each other.

King Of The Opera has a solid reference to Jeff Buckley, not to mention other artists such as John Martin and Steven Wilson. ‘Worried about’ portrays one’s anxiety of a situation, most likely associated with love and matters of the heart. The lyrics portray an overwhelming fear of the unknown, while track has an upbeat rhythm. This contrast could very well suggest a sense of relief at the same time – as if to say, “When you worry, you care!”

No matter how conventional King Of The Opera may sound, the band still manages to deliver a unique sound. Taking this into consideration, alongside the other things mentioned earlier. I would have to say ‘Fabriciborio’ and ‘GD’ are two tracks featured on the album that really stood out to me. ‘GD’ really tries to reach out with its music.

You can’t help but put that track on replay countless times. It leaves you wanting to search for deep meaning. It feels like the more you listen, the more the acoustic guitar encourages you to take an extended journey of self discovery, and leads you to an uncharted territory. I loved it so much I tweeted about it!

If you’re eager to take a journey of self-discovery, join me with King Of The Opera. I can’t leave without saying; the album title ‘Nothing Outstanding’ is truly underestimated!

unePassante 'No Drama' Reviewed

unePassante, the Italian trio presents ‘No Drama‘. Three years after their debut album More Than One In Number (2010). ‘No Drama’ is expected to release in April. unePassante introduce a completely different outlook in comparison to their last release. Going from jazz / folk and rock to experimenting with electro-pop. This three-year time period had some importance.

Coming to you with a collection of ten tracks, this new album definitely has something to say for itself. The opening track, ‘Utterly Wrong’ is made up of an electro-funk bass luring the listener deep into the song. It certainly represents the genre. Starting with slow-paced vocals demonstrating a sense of illusion / hypnotic. Suddenly the track’s pace changes, a revved up rhythm, enough riffs to make anyone feel dizzy. unePassante carries a slight resemblance to Depeche Mode. A British band originally formulated in 1980. As it has similar pattern as far as the music is concerned; bombarded with crazy riffs and hypnotic sounds. Aside from Depeche Mode, there are others are to compare against such as Soft Cell.

There seems to be an on-going pattern of a mellow introduction driving into a fast-paced sound of an acoustic guitar and piano. ‘Seasaw’ is decorated with acoustic guitar riffs, which introduce a ‘groovy’ outlook. The outlook is bright and fresh, it would turn any frown into a smile. Aside from this, the lyrics welcome its audience with open arms “Come take a ride on my ever swinging seesaw!” It suggests a portrayal of on-going emotions and experiences faced throughout the year. When you listen to ‘No Drama’, at times it feels like you’re bouncing in the club. ‘Extinction’ is a build up, with riffs repeated to build up the anticipation. However, ‘Extinction’ seems to play with the mind, purely because it changes. It becomes something else leading listeners to believe “looks can be deceiving. What started out as a club banger turns into an illusion, leaving you, the listener totally hypnotized by the music.

My personal favorite track of ‘No Drama’ has to be ‘XMAN’. The introduction is nicely harmonized with the acoustic guitar. It pulls you into the track, encouraging the listener to pay attention as the track goes through a variety of contrast sounds. The change is apparent when the drums and electronic riffs come in. Another favorite is the bonus track ‘Oh My Monster’. ‘Oh My Monster’ portrays a woman’s struggles with love, life, curiosity, fear, and ambition. Life’s struggles fade away when one is comforted once in the arms of their love interest.

unePassante’s ‘No Drama’ explores with music, bringing you upbeat and at times mellow harmonies to relate to its listeners. If you’re one of those people who are looking to explore a different taste and insight on music, then this is for you!