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* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: Sonic Jesus
ALBUM...: Grace
GENRE...: Psychedelic Rock
STYLE...: Neo-Psychedelia, Post-Punk, Post-Punk Revival, New Wave
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Post-Rock, Alternative Rock, Kraut Rock, Indie Rock
YEAR....: 2017
LABEL...: Fuzz Club
COUNTRY.: Italy
PLACE...: Doganella di Ninfa, Lazio
FORMED..: March 2012
VOCALS..: English
ENCODER.: FLAC 1.3.1 -8 -V
BITRATE.: 950 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / 2 channels
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 10
SIZE....: 298.49 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/sonicjesus
- TRACKLIST
1 I'm In Grace 4:35
2 I Hope 4:01
3 Modern Model 4:38
4 September 9th 4:21
5 No Way 4:39
6 Space Heels 5:21
7 Outdoor 3:28
8 Funeral Party 3:43
9 Stars 4:12
10 Fading Lights 4:55
Total Playtime: 43:53
Sonic Jesus' album 'Grace' goes beyond the past boundaries, pushing towards
enthralling melodic horizons and modern pounding beats, delivered by a
new-found pop sensibility. There's still a darkness brooding beneath the
noise but these new tracks see the project take on a magnificent and
insatiable new form.
*
What's in a name? That's probably not a question which Italian
multi-instrumentalist Tiziano Veronese asked himself before deciding to
perform under a moniker which does pretty much suggest that he's the
metaphysical offspring of Brian Eno, Kevin Shields and Delia Derbyshire.
Needless to say, that's not a description which Veronese finds very easy to
live up to, but on the other hand there is something beautiful and charming
amidst the dark noise which he creates. Everything on 'Grace' comes served
with a low, growling, bassline and pounding drums, over which Veronese's
distorted vocals make him sound like a soap opera character having a nervous
breakdown. And yet one of the most interesting things about this record is
that no two songs truly sound the same.
Opener 'I'm In Grace' is so heavy and spiritual that it could be a newly
ordained priest happily swimming in treacle, whilst 'Modern Model' is
disconcertingly light on its feet before gradually getting deeper and darker,
as Veronese mutters about healing sorrows. Similarly, 'Outdoors' is defiantly
uptempo, with a nice piano melody buried in there, but best of all is 'Space
Heels', which could be a forgotten Joy Division classic; it's the one song
where you can say that all of the parts of Veronese's ambition finally mesh
together.
There's one fly in the ointment, though. The lyrics to Sonic Jesus' music are
apparently not written by Veronese himself, but by touring guitarist Marco
Barzetti - and it is as if Veronese either doesn't have enough confidence in
them, or in his own command of English, to sing them. Too often you can catch
the first part of a line but not the conclusion, and it's bloody frustrating.
Nowhere is this more apparent than on 'Funeral Party', a fast-paced,
Editors-esque, number which would be superb if Veronese didn't keep repeating
"inside we're always..." and then mumbling to himself. Inside you're always
what, mate? Happy? Depressed? Squishier than on the outside? JUST TELL US!
If we were judging this album purely on the music alone it would definitely
merit a higher mark, but we've knocked at least one off for just being too
obscure and annoying. - littleindieblogs - 7.5/10
*
Sonic Jesus is the project of multi-instrumentalist Tiziano Veronese. Based
in Italy and formed in 2012, Sonic Jesus is set to release its enthralling
second LP 'Grace' on March 10th via London imprint Fuzz Club Records.
The new album follows on from a split single with psych legends The Black
Angels and a debut double LP titled Neither Virtue Nor Anger, which was met
with wide-spread praise by the likes of The Quietus, Clash and Drowned In
Sound.
Graceshows Sonic Jesus taking on an insatiable new form, ditching their
industrial and hypnotic psych-rock for an expansive synth-driven post-punk
sound that falls somewhere between Interpol, Editors and Cold Cave.
There's still the hypnotic Sonic Jesus darkness ebbing beneath the noise but
these new tracks show the project reverberating around a new-found pop
sensibility.
After releasing the widely praised granitic double LP Neither Virtue Nor
Anger and an intense period of touring around Europe, it seemed like Sonic
Jesus' fate followed an already traced path. Two years later, in comes
'Grace' - a work that quests the inner nature of the band itself, uncovering
the experimental temper of Tiziano Veronese.
The lyrics were composed by the projects live guitarist Marco Barzetti, who's
also the mastermind behind Italian shoegaze outfit Weird. When Sonic Jesus
were asked to explain the meaning behind the lyrics and the album itself they
offered the following statement:
"Grace's existential themes underline the close relationship between man and
universe, where a welcoming Mother Nature protects the main character from
the recurrence of past nightmares, by offering new dreamscape perspectives as
well as a future salvation. Each end carries a new start: 'Grace'? turns the
page and rewrites the tale of Sonic Jesus."
*
About:
Sonic Jesus is an Italian band born in Doganella di Ninfa,Is currently
Tiziano Veronese's musical project. Since their debut, they have been
acclaimed internationally, thanks to the release of their first EP, "Sonic
Jesus," on Fuzz Club Records. In 2012, they shared a split titled "Split
Single N░5? with the Black Angels. In 2015, they released a limited edition
7" vinyl containing a remix by Sonic Boom aka Pete Kember of the legendary
Spacemen 3 and Spectrum. Also in 2015, they released a double album titled
"Neither Virtue Nor Anger" on Fuzz Club Records, which became the manifesto
that crowned the band among the most acclaimed Italian and European
psychedelic realities. In 2017, they released "Grace," another album produced
by Fuzz Club Records. It marked a reduction in the neo-psychedelic
frequencies of their earlier work in favor of a newfound pop-wave
sensitivity. Their latest work by Tiziano Veronese dates back to 2018:
"Memories," a self-produced album of old demos found. Over the years, the
band has performed live throughout Europe, sharing the stage with artists
such as Jesus & Mary Chain, Damo Suzuki (CAN), A Place To Bury Stranger,
Wire, and Dead Skeletons.
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Shoegaze
is a genre of alternative rock that
originated in the late 80s. The genre is very
difficult to define, and it is even more difficult to evaluate music
within it. Generally, the genre is characterized by its
shimmering vocals, reverberating guitars, and
textural distortion that create
a tranquil, opaque
feeling.
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