MANESKIN: Rush! (POP): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Historically, winning the Eurovision is a fleeting success and few groups have taken advantage of this exposure to settle permanently. Abba in 1974, Lordi in 2006 and... that's it... Until Maneskin, a young Italian band, came to win the 2021 edition and is still making news two years later with singles like the excellent cover of 'Beggin', 'I Wanna Be Your Slave' followed by 'Supermodel' and 'The Loneliest', two tracks that can be found in their new album, "Rush!

In order to establish their international reputation, Maneskin has this time abandoned Italian to sing in English. Only three titles are declaimed in the native language of the group, 'Mark Chapman', 'La Fine' and 'Il Dono Della Vita', rather classic compositions. For the rest, the group has not fundamentally changed its recipe and continues to apply it. We find many tracks, often bouncy, always direct and very short (less than three minutes) based on a simple structure verse/chorus, a binary rhythmic with a bass drum on all the times and the small solo which allows to bring a little more energy. Among the tracks following this pattern, let's quote 'Gossip' which reminds a bit Imagine Dragons and which benefits from the contribution of Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) on two small soli rather well integrated, the unbearable 'Bla Bla Bla', a rather original 'Gasoline' because it's much more serious than usual with its huge saturated bass and its dissonant final, a 'Feel' very close to the White Stripes, the all-purpose 'Don't Wanna Sleep' and finally the two singles that are first of all 'Mammamia' whose number of listenings on the platforms of streaming can surprise so much it is typical of the Maneskin genre and 'Supermodel' which deserves a little more its success by its catchy side, its multiple breaks and its nice melody

When he goes out of this very stereotyped frame, Maneskin doesn't try to revolutionize his music and proposes tracks which certainly sound good but which won't remain in the memories. 'Own My Mind' is thus a correct track almost pop saved by its dynamism at the end of the piece just like 'Baby Said' which has the good idea to propose a luminous bridge taking it, unfortunately too briefly, in another dimension. Finally, in the current pop/modern music trend intended for radios and with a percussive melody, 'The Loneliest', closes the album on a welcome melancholic note.

Maneskin, 'the new kings of rock', as one can read on the web. It is not with "Rush!" that one can come to such a conclusion. Certainly the group benefits from a very good image, rebellious but not too much, its songs effectively leave the mainstream mould in which the radios bind us, they contain electric guitar and even soli! This is a very good thing. But the recipe, by dint of being repeated, could well begin to tire and that apart from some interesting titles, the whole remains rather average with too many unspecified pieces. The members of Maneskin are young, they have potential but will they manage to add their name in the short list of the groups that we retained in the history of Eurovision? Answer in one or two years. - Official website

MANESKIN

RUSH!

SONY BMG

POP