Detailed Reviews [Salvo Lazzara – 2011 - "Pensiero Nomade"]

Prolusion. “Pensiero Nomade” is the latest solo album by Italian guitarist and songwriter Salvo LAZZARA.

Analysis. A solid-looking lineup of the band (see above) seems to suggest this is either an art-rock or jazz-fusion album, but the impression will dissipate like a tiny cloud in the sky as soon as you listen to it. It has nothing to do with either of the genres, and the last two of the listed musicians each only play on four of the twelve tracks presented. Most of the compositions are not even prog-tinged, containing no changes in pace, let alone individual sections, and are designed for a single soloing voice – mainly a guitar, of course. However, two of those, Il Vuoto Necessario and Materia E Memoria, are hardly music in general, at least in the proper sense of the term, at least to my mind. At the very best, this is music to accompany drowsiness. The tones flow inertly, fading into one another like pastel colors, while some percussion, along with radio voices, ‘sea waves’ and other sampled electronic bullshit, all go their own way behind the thick canvas of the main synthesizer layer (which is single in both cases), the stuff, while ‘developing’, evoking a thawing ice-cream in a way. Now, it must be noted that the rest of the material reveals not too many so-called effects, which is perhaps because it features most-to-all of the musicians involved (albeit the drum kit is only used occasionally in a couple of cases). Forse Altrove, Nella Corrente and Di Nuovo Quiete are pieces of ambient music, using fluid guitar solos and slow synthesizer passages as the main soloing vehicles in their, well, very slowly evolving patterns. Deploying a drum machine instead of a real drummer, Dolcezza Del Tempo embraces what typifies both of the described categories of tracks, but adds a crunchy heavy riff to the mix, at least making it sound denser. (It’s beyond me why most of the prog community classifies the above two styles as Progressive, especially e-music: most of its creators are merely manipulators – not musicians.) The other pieces are rather better, although Alla Deriva, Materia E Memoria, Lontano Da Casa and Mentre Tutto Cambia, all of which represent melodic New Age, aren’t my cup of tea either, unlike the remaining two compositions, L’Abbandono and Il Senso Delle Cose, the album’s second and penultimate track respectively. Only these seem to refer to the album’s title, arousing some associations with Nomads – mainly due to the parts with an oud (which sounds like a symbiosis of acoustic guitar and saz) and percussion instruments. The style is World Fusion inspired by Arabic folk music.

Conclusion. Sorry, guys, for the critical review. However, there is a note in the contact section on our website saying that we don’t accept any kinds of new age, electronic and ambient music. So those who send us this stuff anyway should never expect a positive review. Personally I won’t use this recording even as background music. A half star has been added to its rating because most of it is performed with real instruments.

VM=Vitaly Menshikov: May 16, 2012
The Rating Room