HOTEL BRUN

For their fourth and last studio effort, Hotel Brun, Sauro Musi has replaced Roberto Magni on the guitarist's position, but things are "business as usual"; that is, the tracks show all the virtues of Italian symphonic tradition, assimilated by Sithonia's ability to write catchy songs and arrange them with finesse and distinction. The initial five tracks, which display a sense of romanticism more intense and direct than on their previous recordings, are conceptually linked under the concept 'Canzoni Crepuscolari': an appropiate title, since the sense of emotion displayed in these tracks feels actually quite crepuscular, like ballads or semi-ballads sung in a distant piano bar well past midnight. There's no way one can appreciate really these songs out of this global context, but certainly the most notable compositional ideas are condensed in tracks 1 and 3. The first two tracks bear a similar structure, which is based on a tota lrespect for the main motif and regard any other musical idea as a gently harmonized ornament within a concise architecture. Tracks 3 and 4 are the most complex in this 'Canzoni Crepuscolari' series: 'Comprate le Stelle' includes a soft yet effective jazzy vibe in its rhythm section, as well as subtly intrincate melodic shifts, while 'Ombra nella Nebbia' portrays a pleasant eerie ambience right from the lead violin intro. These tracks could and should have benefited from a longer expansion so their full potential be conveniently explored. Anyway, the creators themselves are the ones to ultimately decide what is and what is not convenient, so I guess I'll have to stop digressing. Track 5 is a beautiful ballad, not too long, but powerful enough musically to motivate emotion in the listener's heart: its magic comes from its jazzy vibe (a magic that would have been enhanced with a longer arrangement). Next, we find the namesake suite: a well-arranged series of well-written distinct songs, which keep the flame of evocative romaticism that the first five songs had effectively lightd on. After this one, the tender ballad in waltz tempo entitled 'Risvegli' serves as a beautiful closing (for both the album and Sithonia's musical history): the violin solo - played by a guest - really makes the song's finale soar into the mysterious side of the human heart. Generally speaking, Sithonia's career has proved to be one of the most interesting in the contemporary Italian progressive scene, with their first three studio works moving towards a more open sense of passion and refined extravagance, while this last one sets an increasing tendecy towards a calmer trend.