TEMPI MIGLIORI

Last spring I received all the five PENSIERO NOMADE albums and reviewed three of them back then. This one is the second release, and continuing the path of the debut (2008), its music is almost entirely created by Salvo Lazzara alone. The composer plays guitas, bass and programming. "Tempi Migliori" -- the title means either Better Times or Better Weathers -- is an our long instrumental work in 16 pieces, the shortest ones being approximately 1½ minutes and only one exceeding 5½ minutes.

This is peaceful and introspective ambient music, concentrating on the spatial, thoughtful textures (soundscapes) themselves, not particularily caring about compositional progression or wide dynamics, or things like drama, excitement, surprise effects, etc. This is naturally both the strength and the weakness of this album, depending totally on the listener and things (s)he wants to get from music. Without a doubt, a casual rock/pop listener would get very bored during these 60 minutes. The more appropriate target audience may be aware of artists such as BRIAN ENO, JON HASSELL, JON MARK, STEVE ROACH... It also helps if the listener has some interest towards so called New Age music (a term I don't like because of the spiritual connotations). I hope you get my point nevertheless: one can use this music in order to empty one's mind from daily stress and responsibilities; to have the music on the background while you make silent coversations with your inner feelings. Another musical association for me were recordings on the Windham Hill label -- if you happen to know it, instrumentally and acoustically oriented peaceful music mainly from 80's and 90's, fairly unknown artists such as Alex De Grassi, Michael Hedges, William Ackerman and John Gorka.

But honestly. Compared to some other Pensiore Nomade albums, this one is rather unspectacular, or how would I put it, too calm, minimalistic and lame for its own good. It's very difficult to tell the tracks from each other and to pick up special favourites. Minimalistic approach can truly be emotionally deep, but with this album I frankly don't get strong emotional sensations. The package features serene landscape pictures with ancient ruins, and that's just about it when it comes to my own imagery: like I was on a long retreat vacation, comfortably numb, perhaps gathering myself after some traumatic events, and doing nothing more dramatic than having talks with the olive trees and feeling the soft breeze on my face.

Instead of making corrections on the album info, I make it clear here that the flute of Alessandro Toniolo is featured only on tracks 3, 13 and 14, and the drums of Davide Guidoni on tracks 4, 5 and 13. Their participation does very good for Lazzara's soundscapes that are woven around acoustic guitar and bass, and I wish it had been notably larger. That said, I prefer Pensiore Nomade's later albums, especially "Imperfetta Solitudine" which I warmly recommend. My rating of only two stars -- that I generally use all too rarely, in fact -- feels a bit cruel, since also this album is very sincere, introspective musical statement.