I VIAGGI DI MADELEINE: Tra Luce E Ombra (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Hailing from the Italian Puglia town of Lecce, I Viaggi di Madeleine, formed in 2015, produced their self-titled debut album in 2019. Since then, the original trio has lost its guitarist, so it's as a duo that Francesco Carella (vocals and keyboards) and Giuseppe Quarta (drums) present their second effort entitled "Tra Luce e Ombra".

The absence of an official guitarist in the line-up is certainly reflected in the predominance of keyboards with their diverse sounds throughout the album, supported by a lively but never intrusive drums, brought to the fore by the production. A more unexpected side-effect is that, whereas "I Viaggi di Madeleine" unfolded a very classic, unsurprisingly progressive style, with the exposition of several themes within fairly long tracks, "Tra Luce e Ombra" chooses to condense its subject matter into short, varied tracks.

And the result is delightful. Don't be fooled by 'Migrazioni', the album's opener, an upbeat, melodious instrumental that sounds too much like the forced passage that many progressive bands inflict on themselves (and us). The rest of the album is far more interesting, moving on from the kind of joyful hard rock that Deep Purple could have produced ('Frequenze Solari') to a superb title track with medieval influences ('L'ultima Battaglia'), via the nonchalant, Canterburian 'Poker', on which the legendary Richard Sinclair regales us with his bass touch and some pleasant onomatopoeia. Far from this solar relaxation, other tracks play the melancholy or anguish card, and some even venture into a few chaotic experiments ('Road Roller') which, if not entirely convincing, have the merit of contributing to the diversity of this album.

While "Tra Luce e Ombra" leaves plenty of space for the instrumental parts, Francesco Carella's vocals, when they do rise, are just the right amount of rocky, without demonstrative excess, and shouldn't upset those put off by the frequent theatricality of Italian singers. "Tra Luce e Ombra" is an accessible progressive album whose diversity ensures the pleasure of many listens. - Official website

I VIAGGI DI MADELEINE

TRA LUCE E OMBRA

M.P.

PROGRESSIVE ROCK