| CD REVIEW The Why Not? |
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Band : The Why Not? Since their conception as a fourpiece in January 2003, occasionally Bologna based (but usually spread the length and breadth of Northern Italy) have developed their sound, resulting in a compromise between rage and melody with contrasting lyrics & vocals...which pay homage to the band’s numerous influences including The Ataris, The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, The Juliana Theory, Funeral For A Friend, Lagwagon, Nirvana, Therapy? and others. Although a lot of that is Emo-influenced Melodic Punk Rock, it’s safe to say that the band’s music evolved over their 2004 promo and 2006 EP A Million Days Weekend towards their own special hybrid of strongly ‘90s rooted Alternative Rock, the Pop Punk influences still coming through in the band’s more “aggressive” moments. In the course of the latter years the band has toured the Baltic States with Vanilla Sky, Raw Power, and The New Story, and their gradual stylistic changes sure may have had to do with the 4 line-up changes the band’s gone through before stabilizing on the current five-piece of Giovanni Demontis (lead singer, synth & piano player), Francisco Di Dedda (guitar & vocals), Emiliano Di Penta (guitar & screamed vocals), Stefano Lodi (bass, vocals) and Alessandro Moretti (drums). Synths? Yeah, the band abily uses that instrument in intro, or to generate the seashore sounds that open the album in the 62-second “instrumental” “Intro” [which however doés include a sample (repeated threefold) of a young woman saying the weird words, “I began to float, up in waves in my body...as my brain seemed to be held in a grip with a giant vise”] which also includes the use of some piano and atmospheric, albeit “Ambient”, keyboards! Those seashore sounds are important somehow, because the guys have the album closing track “Glorify The Night” start with that, and then gradually built it into the finishing part, letting the waves gently beat the shore for some five minutes before bringing hidden bonus track “From Another Planet”, which has a nice balance between aggression and serenity built in! Back to the start of the album, or towards the first actual songs “Lifetime Calandar” and “Drama Polaroid”, which show the band from their most aggressive side. It takes up to track four (the Poppy Punk track “Forever And A Day”) for the band to use the keyboards again with some well-placed piano passages. The ensuing “Porcelain” then, which is somewhat calmer overall [also has a synth passage, and towards the end (which is done with acoustic guitar), you also get a bit of piano again] has a vocal guest appearance by Sandro Amabili of Bologna based Rock/ Punk/ Indie act Forty Winks. The rest of the album continues to alternate raging songs with some that have calmer passages, the calmest of which being the acoustic ballad “Clean,...Today!”. Somehow I also though that “The Latest Tragedy” also included the guest appearance of a female singer, but there’s no mention of such a person in the info or at myspace.com/thewhynot, which is where you can find mp3-files for 2 songs off this album (as well as 2 from their 2006 EP, and a live video of somewhat doubtable sound quality). Summing things up, I’d say that Lifetime Calandar is definitely one of those albums which may please the casual listener for some apparent reason to start with, but which will then grow on that same person as he continues to listen to the several small but delicious details! Although no dates have been confirmed yet in the time time between me getting the promo for review at the beginning of October and checking out their info again a couple of days before doin’ the review, the band has announced plans to tour Italy extensively this Autumn...and they hope to bring their music to the UK in early 2009! 89/100 Tony. |