A SENSE OF LOSS

When an artist releases an album that sounds exactly the same as the preceding one, I always feel a bit cheated. As much as I may have liked the previous album, I don't need a copy. I expect a few changes at least. After all, if I want to hear that specific certain style, I can simply play the old album right? There's enough great music already to be bothered with too much sameness. (I'm sure you've read this in some of my previous reviews already, sorry for being samey then...)

Now, in case you suffer from the same - I feel this is gonna be the key-word to this review - syndromes as me, then the new release from the Italian romanticists Nosound may disappoint you as well. Every song could have been on Lightdark: the exact same sounds, the same vocal melodies, the same melancholic ambience. Luckily, there's one redeeming factor that kept me returning to this record: most of the songs are simply too irresistibly beautiful. Again.

There's one unfortunate exception, the 15 minute closing piece Winter Will Come doesn't work as well as it should. It sits at the end of the record and by the time you get there, chances are big that you're more or less exhausted from the 35 minutes that led towards it. Even though every minute was soaked with gentle atmospherics and enchanting melancholies, the monotonous nature of the music will simply have drained you. Something that wasn't the case with Lightdark. Even for me, the closing track is far too repetitive and not memorable enough to sustain my attention.

Despite the soft and mellow nature of the music I don't recommend you to play this as background music. Maximal effect can only be obtained by playing it really loud. Especially the DVD with the surround mix will serve this purpose.

3.5 stars rounded down, I can't see myself returning to this album a lot. If I need to chill I will simply play the preceding Lightdark.

Contrary to Bonnek's opinion of A Sense of Loss, I find the music here quite different from LightDark. The recording of acoustic instruments is more clean, less treated, more in the front (drums, guitar, piano). What is, unfortunately, the same, is Giancarlo's voice: delivery, treatments/effects, and message. "Some Warmth to this Chill" and "Fading Silently" both allow Zito's drums to significantly jazz up the music (though, I'm not sure it works: it causes a kind of dissention in the music; as if one part of the group is trying to say one thing while the other is on a whole other wavelength. Interesting. ). "Tender Claim" and "Apology" do sound as if they were remixed rejects for LightDark, and "Constant Contrast" sounds like it came from one of BRIAN ENO's early ambient, or proto-ambient music albums. But, in "Winter Will Come" I believe NOSOUND has again created a masterpiece--a piece of music that draws me in and holds my attention along with playing with my mood strings at a very deep level. The song that makes this album worth owning.

A 3.5 star album. Do I rate it up because it is "an excellent addition" or down because it is "good but not essential"? Better yet: go back and listen to LightDark!