NOIANOIR

NoiaNoir is the third full-length album from Pennelli di Vermeer, and in my opinion this is their finest work. This is a unique and remarkably fresh, high-quality set of compositions. While Pennelli di Vermeer sound really nothing like The Who, I was instantly reminded of The Who Sell Out when I first played this. Like that album, this collection features short, diverse song ideas mixed with what sound like commercial jingles, announcements, interludes, and other environmental recorded bits. Apparently, the conceptual storyline revolves around some kind of tabloid murder story for which, as my norm, I'm paying next-to-no attention to lyrics. But, oh my goodness, the songs...

The music of NoiaNoir is such a pleasurable listen and goes by so fast. These are short and uber-catchy pop/rock vignettes that you'll very soon be singing and bouncing along with. The styles change constantly, but the quality and performances are consistent and stellar throughout. Despite the brevity of the song lengths, this is absolutely RPI even if it is one that is largely self-defined. There are traditional elements but everything is musical upside-down world in a way, and it works both as pop music and, when considered as a continuous piece, like a theatrical event in a way. But getting beyond all the nonsense about categories and labels, the music is the beauty here. So enjoyable!

I dug it immediately from the opening overture with its strings and bold female Italian vocals. There are folksy vibes blended with a modern rock spirit not unlike The Strokes in places. There is funky reggae blended to operatic vocals. There's a country romp in the spirit of Zeppelin's "Hot Dog." There are show tunes, a 50s song that could be a Grease outtake, funk/soul, avant-pop, and even some great guitar solos. The detailed vocal harmony stacking and interesting keyboard runs add to the luster. Something that is such a diverse musical blender could be a disaster if not well arranged, but the recording and arrangements here are impeccable, the end result extremely professional. That said, what I am left with is just how much fun this is to listen to, and I'm pretty sure it must have been fun to make. As with 2017's Misantropi Felici, the fantastic cover art was the work of Antonella Ruggiero, and it completes this perfect package that you should surely check out.

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