FORSE LE LUCCIOLE NON SI AMANO PIÙ

One of the most common problems of the Italian Prog scene was the problem of "one-album wonders", bands that gave us listeners a single masterpiece album and then vanished into the air. It is so common in the scene that it is a fear known throughout the entire fan and genre base. Locanda Delle Fate is one of those bands. The album is a unique masterpiece, a sensation of Prog-rck music that takes much inspiration from Genesis and the Romantic-period. Their almost classic in their style, but only almost, as the rock-ish side is no less than amazing.

A Volte un'Istante di Quiete opens with a very catchy and dynamic piano riff. Then guitars and rhythm section join in to create a sum greater that its parts. A nice dialog between the keyboards and the guitar ensues, before we come back to a lone piano on the 1:10 mark. Then a new motive ensues, and a new dialog between instruments. The band utilizes here the two keyboardists to the extreme, with some clever and elegant lines that complement each other. 2:21 and we change the atmosphere to a very ethereal one, led by a very nice flute, reminding me a bit of Camel (but only a little bit). 4:32 and we come back to our first motive, meeting it new and reborn. We then slowly venture towards the end with an amazing quadrolog from the guitars and keyboards.

The title track opens with a magnificent piano line, with vocals joining at the 30 seconds mark. Sasso sings beautifully, and the melodies in the background reminds a little bit of Genesis. 1:38 and it goes rock-y, with some great keyboards and guitars work, and the bass is great yet again. Sasso comes back and continues with his demonstration, reminding a bit of Banco's Vocalist in his talent and the ability to show emotions. Great bridges connect between the verses, each one better than its predecessor, moving between the rock and the classic, with an emphasis on the romantic. The bass lines are precise and minimalist, yet so amazing that it hurts. Jethro influences join the mixture. A great masterpiece and one that by itself puts Locanda Delle Fate in the same league with Il Balleto di Bronzo, PFM and the like. We're back to the beginning sound, finishing a full circle, before changing again.

Profumo Di Colla Bianca opens ethereal, simple, with no hubris whatsoever. After a minute Sasso sings over a lone Hammond, a bit later joined by a magnificent Grand Piano, before the rhythm section joins in. the music flows from place to place, letting us marvel at the stations along the way, but takes us at the exact right moment to the next one. Again we are presented with a very Hackett-y guitar, before the vocals return. The ending section is almost rock-ish, even outside of Locanda's classical standards, before coming back to a long piano.

Cercando Un Nuovo Confine starts with a nice fingerstyle guitar with vocals as sparkles that join the mixture. Some modest piano joins in, before we change to a bit more rhythmical music. The flute beginning at 1:56 is unique, and the music turns even more bass and drums based as we continue. They just control this track, this piece, even though they are sometimes covered by so many melodic levels. In certain instances throughout the song, the vocals harmonize each other, taking us all the way to heaven.

Sogno di Estunno comes next, and shows that even Locanda can do rock. It is pure rock, except for the instrument selection- flute as lead instrument, synth as second. At 1:14 we are presented with an interlude led by the piano and synth, before going rock-ish yet again. The transitions are mind-blowing, showing Locanda at their best. It is not a simple track, but it is way more communicative than one would guess. 2:48 and it goes a little spacey, before adding back the rock elements.

Non chiudere a chiave le stele is a great little ballad, showing a softer and tenderer side to the rock-ish Locanda of the earlier track. The fingerstyle guitars are magnificent, giving us a bit of an Italian Genesis, dueting with each other under some amazing vocals.

Vendesi Saggezza opens with some melancholic keyboards and guitar lines, before even melancholier vocals are added to the mixture. It slowly grows brighter, more optimistic. Drums join at 1:20, and bass becomes dominant 10 seconds or so later. 1:50 and it changes again, combining the early sound of the track with a more rock-ish feel, and adding a great guitar-flute duet to the mixture. Some great use of distortion ensues, serving as a base to the overdrive guitar and to the flute. We come back to vocals, this time over a rock-ish surface, before drifting away into a quicker sound. The music just continues to flow, and then we're presented with a great guitar solo, with the amazing voice of Sasso controlling and coordinating everything. 6:17 and we're changing again, enjoying a great keyboards work joined by some even greater synth work. The guitar underneath is exceptional as well. We change moods, we change atmospheres, we change rhythms at exactly the right moments, and it feels so natural, so fluid, so right.

New York closes the album. It opens quietly, gently, with nice instrumentation below the voice of Vevy, only to turn into a very anthemic piece. It feels right, and great, but for me there's not much else to say about it. A nice track, but that pales in comparison to the magnificence of the earlier ones.

And so the album ends, with a great feeling, but not a magnificent one. It is a masterpiece album, but far from being essential. 4 stars for being an excellent addition to Any Prog-Rock collection.