Quite a change this Italian band has taken since their debut, as despite a connection between the two records being rather evident, this outing is much less post-"Brave Murder Day" Katatonia and much more, say... Coldplay or something of that nature. The label cites potential comparisons as wide spanning as everything from The Beatles, The Cure, or U2, to Katatonia or Anathema, among others, and while I certainly wouldn't want to scare anyone off by going so far as to compare this to any of the former three, this is, without a doubt, much more "modern rock" sounding (for unfortunate lack of a better term). But shit, man, when the result is absolutely gorgeous tracks like "Snow of '85", with its harmonic intro and blends of lushly layered clean guitars and pulsing basslines with persistently delivered distorted chords and memorable vocal harmonies, call it whatever you want! I just love it! All of the vocals throughout are delivered in a relatively soft singing range that possesses just the right amount of feeling and emphasis to make such tracks true powerhouses, though this one in particular is the outstanding pinnacle for me. "Nightdriver" opens in an extremely chilled out manner with a soothingly moody vibe that really sucks you in before the distortion comes in to continue the progression, and this is another of the finest compositions offered herein. "Because of You, Tonight" gets a little quirkier with its use of jazzy percussive accents and rhythmic arrangements that at times do remind me of The Police or something like that (Oops, there I go making loose references that might scare people away, I can't help it!), but even still, most of the track falls back on the band's usual contrasts between those persistent distorted chords and ethereal clean parts. Later in the disc there are scarce moments such as the bulk of the title track that kind of test my limits as far as what I'm willing to take from the whole "modern rock" angle, as a couple of the jangly chord progressions and such are simply too "friendly" and lack the intrigue of the band's strengths. And take for instance the handclaps in "La Tregua": That kind of thing simply takes it over the edge and causes that area of the composition to be too far removed from the general musical vision expressed here. So while none of these songs are anywhere remotely near "bad", there are indeed a couple of snippets that push a little too far out there, you know? With regards to these specific two tracks, the zestier tempo and unexpected focus on tremolo picking textures in "Lomo" helps pick things back up towards a thicker and more vibrant energy level - certainly a well timed move. A lot of that zest continues in the rocked out tempo of "Sleepwalk in Rome", which actually allows more breathing room for all involved elements in the way that it spaces out the guitar parts and vocal arrangements (some of which are delivered in Italian, which is actually rare for the band). The recording is fucking perfect, too. I love the way they've somehow managed to keep the mix as clear as humanly possible despite all of the layering that's going on, so the percussion is always crisp and powerful, the basslines are always thumping away and adding color to the rhythms rather than mimicking the guitar parts (both the bassist and the drummer are really fucking talented and know how to create a stir without showing off), and the vocals swirl around within the confines of the instrumentation rather than overpowering the music or becoming a distraction. And the guitars? Very nice. The distortion's not that heavy or anything, which makes sense, but its volume and texture are just right for popping out and making for explosive contrasts against all of the shimmery clean guitars and laidback riffs. You won't hear me complaining about this one at all. I really like the layout as well, which is largely done in black and white with some prominent red on occasion, and oddly blends photography, sketchy handwriting, and collaged looking appearances that create an unusual aesthetic. Sometimes the lyrics are hard to read, but it all looks cool, and that's more important in this case, I believe. The lyrics walk a fine line between being somewhat bleak, yet still hopeful, which is a pretty good fit for the music, which tends to strike a similar balance: "I try to keep pain hidden when I roam, night takes care of wounds, I can believe, night driving away. Sky is freed from fears and with soft tears hides my eyes as they cry, I can float here, I drive me home..." This is just a great, great band. It took me a few listens to get into this particular disc when I first got the promo, but after I bought a full copy it didn't take much longer for me to really become a big fan. There's something special about this record right off the bat, and even though it's not for everyone, I'd encourage any curious parties to at least give it a chance, because this act's not getting nearly enough attention yet, and I think Klimt 1918's just going to continue to impress me as long as they're around. Excellent work.
[Prophecy Productions]
Running time - 41:51, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Snow of '85, Nightdriver, Lomo, Sleepwalk in Rome]
Klimt 1918 - http://www.klimt1918.com
