PALEPOLI

Osanna's album, effectively a double-feature, is one of the most eclectic albums I have ever heard. The band incorporates a myriad of styles and ideas in forty-two minutes, doing so in two extended pieces. The titles are modest: "Hot Gold," "City Room," and "Animals Without Breath" (roughly translated), but their simplicity is deceiving, as the music is incredibly complex and far out there.

"Oro Caldo" Palepoli begins with what may well be the sound of a Mediterranean marketplace. Distant voices shout underneath a calm flute, which performs one of the most striking melodies in progressive music. It adopts a joyous rock and roll vibe temporarily before returning to the quiet, melodic style, which features gorgeous guitar, flute and soft voices. The Mellotron chord progression is most memorable and endearing and precedes a hectic guitar and flute-led passage. The piece is diverse and all over the place, incorporating symphonic, heavy, folk, and avant styles in an occasionally incoherent manner.

"Stanza Città" This interlude revisits the opening of the initial piece.

"Animale Senza Respiro" Bizarre noises and rhythms begin the third and final piece. The grating beginning gives way to a minimalistic psychedelic atmosphere. Overall, the music possesses zany jazz rock in the vein of early King Crimson contrasted with avant-folk. The piece does possess another hauntingly beautiful Mellotron performance. The penultimate few minutes consist of outlandish avant-prog, at the center of which lies a flanged drum solo, eventually tapering off for a brooding conclusion.