Earlier than they had been extensively tipped as certainly one of London’s most enjoyable new post-punk bands, Bar Italia spent years patiently grafting. The trio, consisting of Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton, put out a number of releases by way of Dean Blunt’s avant-garde World Music label, together with their debut LP ‘Quarrel’ and follow-up EP ‘Angelica Pilled’ in 2020. Second album ‘Bedhead’ swiftly adopted in early 2021, earlier than they then shared three standalone singles (‘Banks’, ‘Miracle Crush’ and ‘Polly Armour’) in 2022.
This prolific streak steadily raised the present fanfare that surrounds their percussive but pensive post-punk, finally resulting in a string of sold-out gigs, worldwide excursions and a take care of Matador Data (house to the likes of Pavement, Julien Baker and Snail Mail). It’s a formidable feat, particularly when you think about the layers of mystique Bar Italia have deliberately conjured throughout their rise: from issuing dim and grainy publicity images to their Microsoft Paint-aided present flyers, they’ve additionally actively averted giving any interviews throughout their emergence.
Regardless of this reticence, the London trio now appear to have their sights set on making their reintroduction with ‘Tracey Denim’. Recorded and produced by the band themselves with mixing from Marta Salogni (Björk, Black Midi, M.I.A.), their third album needs to be sufficient to shift to at least one facet these hasty (albeit considerably justified) comparisons to The Remedy and Pleasure Division, guaranteeing that Bar Italia make a long-lasting impression that’s all of their very own making.
‘Nurse!’, the album’s hypnotic lead single, is a swaggering and devastatingly cool monitor that quickens and slows with out warning, aided by jangly guitars and the buzzing but pleasant distortion that brings it to an in depth. Fenton could also be singing “haven’t felt this fashion because you had been 21” within the course of a love curiosity, however the lyric additionally applies to the sensation you get when listening to one thing that’s fairly as invigorating as this.
On ‘Punkt’, Bar Italia take their listeners on an imaginative jaunt soundtracked by erratic guitars; its spoken phrase lyrics culminating with Cristante’s infectious repetitive proclamation “I don’t owe you a proof / I simply need to lose management”. The fast ‘Associates’ significantly highlights the band’s manufacturing prowess by fusing collectively parts of warped and pulsating punk with a melodic pop supply, whereas ‘Maddington’ closes the album with lush layering and mild singing that lures the listener in whereas making a wall of sound throughout. It really works as an ideal bookend for the gathering, shining a shiny gentle on the trio’s experimental edge.
The 15 impressively organized tracks on ‘Tracey Denim’ will solely bolster Bar Italia’s discography up to now, ushering them, whether or not they prefer it or not, even additional into the highlight.
Particulars
- Launch date: Might 19
- Document label: Matador
