Karmamoi
are proving to be a difficult band to review. These Italians have a style somewhere
between the psychedelia of Pink Floyd and the distortion power of Rush. Of
course, they mix all sorts of styles into one cohesive stew, including a heavy
dose of electronic experimentation. It's pretty impressive in an odd sort of
way.
Speaking
of odd, their latest album is called "Odd Trip", and I completely agree with
this title. It's all over the place, and that's okay. With funky interludes and
a great mix of surreal ballads and hard-edged, guitar-driven progressive pieces.
The musicianship is wonderful across the board, though I think the vocals from
Serena Ciacci may be what stand out the most. She has a beautiful tone and she
likes to experiment with some interesting off-key vocal exercises that she adds
here and there like a sprinkling of personality. With great range, she pulls her
performance off effortlessly.
The band
behind Serena are great at what they do. The guitarists especially know how to
drive songs in spiraling riffs that are a great contrast from Serena's voice,
but they also provide plenty of delicate fingerwork and beautiful tonal changes.
The rhythm section is also really busy, especially the bass guitar. This album
is saturated in a dynamic bassy goodness that often steals the show.
There are
quite a bit of stand out tracks on this album, including the eerily ethereal "If
I Think of the Sea", the driving "Yours", and the sweeping title track.
Honestly, the whole album is quite good from start to finish. It's certainly an
odd trip, and one can sense the artistic passions the band has.
So, if
you like a bit of technical work, plenty of melodic eccentricity, and a band
devoted to their sound, give Karmamoi's "Odd Trip" a try. It's definitely a
grower, but after the third or fourth listen I started to get it. It's pretty
subtle at times, and in your face in others, but there's a masterful mix to it
all that I didn't expect. Give these guys a try.
