FADED HEART

MUSHY is an Italian cold-wave solo project from singer Valentina Fanigliulo. The music is strongly rooted in indie, shoegaze and it could easily pass for a 4AD release from 25 years ago. Due to Valentina's soft breathy and high voice there I can't think of a better comparison then THE CRANES, especially their more electronic based work from end 90's and 00's.

Valentina manages to create a stirringly beautiful nightmarish sounds. Her songwriting may be a notch below that of fellow-cave dwellers like CRANES, CURE or COCTEAU TWINS, but her search for spooky tonalities is equally interesting. An interesting facet from her sound is how it relates to the German electronic innovators from the 70s, this is nowhere as open as on "She Was Elsewhere", which is a clear nod to TANGERINE DREAM, but it is also evident from the arrangements of other songs where cosmic and noisy electronic influences pop up from KRAFTWERKK, CLUSTER or HARMONIA. The remixes at the end show this artist has a much closer affinity with the 80s synthwave movement then with anything related to progressive rock.

This album from MUSHY is only marginally related to progressive rock music for me so I would advise not to approach this with the wrong expectations, but fans of the cold claustrophobic sounds of 80s shouldn't miss this. An excellent album for me but a notch below the 4 stars ratings that I attributed to many works in this progressive electronic sub.