Stella Diana sound Italian, don’t they? At least in name, that is. Musically, they’ve absorbed an array of influences, mostly originating from British alternative scenes of the 80s and 90s: bands like Catherine Wheel and Ride, as well as Joy Division, The Psychedelic Furs and The Chameleons all inform the band’s sound. Throw in trace elements of Pale Saints, Lush, The Stone Roses, Codeine, Christian Death, and Talk Talk, and you’re starting to see the bigger picture.
All of this comes together on this EP, which bursts, swirling and buzzing and fizzing from the speakers with the spiralling throb of ‘Shohet’. It’s sunny, but it’s dense, brittle guitars turned up loud blur into a thick psychedelic analogue synth sound that threatens to bury the drums and vocals as they careen, dream-like, amidst the maelstrom.
Blissful melodies and chiming guitars wash over the listener. Because it’s sung in Italian, I’m unsure which Bill Carson the song of the same name is about, but it’s got a lovely sing-song tune and a nice, loose groove, and ‘Mira’ (I’m assuming it isn’t a song about showers) boasts some driving guitars and positively crackles with energy.
|
The cover of Kula Shaker’s ‘Govinda’ is a rather questionable closer, but evokes a deeper mystical vibe than the original: it’s well executed, building on a hypnotic bass throb that’s hard to resist.
Having achieved critical acclaim with ’41 61 93’ in their homeland, ‘Alhena’ has the potential to take them to a wider audience.
Stella Diana Online
|
