Search - Alice :: Mezzogiorno Sulle Alpi

Domus in nebulae

loteq | Regensburg | 07/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Mezzogiorno.." is arguably the pivotal release in Alice's discography. Employing a number of guest musicians from bands like XTC, Roxy Music, Japan, and King Crimson, Alice's late-'80s/early-'90s output ("Park Hotel", "Il sole nella pioggia", "Mezzogiorno..", "Charade") displays her effort to steer away from a commercially oriented Mediterranean pop act to a much more ambitious project. Also, "Mezzogiorno.." marked an increasing expansion into electronics, expressed in colorful synth sounds, occasional drum loops, and subdued ambient passages. Lyrically and musically, Alice and the band are at their best, making this album an accessible but arty affair not dissimilar to Roxy Music's last two albums and to Bryan Ferry's solo output. Everything here is good, but my favorites are the complex, utterly charming "In viaggio..", the soaring, alluring "Il colore..", and "Lungo ritorno..". This disc also contains a cover version of Tim Buckley's "Blue melody" and a spoken excerpt from Pasolini's "La meglio gioventu". In retrospect, this concentration on sonic textures made it no surprise that Alice's next album "Charade" began pushing into avant-garde pop territory."