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liafail cynicalstones
Artist: Lia Fail
Title: Cynical Stones
Genre: Neo Folk
Release Date: 3rd May 2012
Label: Three Legged Cat


Album Review

Lia Fáil (Gaelic for the Stone of Destiny) is a stony monument in the heart of Ireland, deeply rooted in Celtic mythology and part of many befogged legends. Brought to the northern isles by the Túatha Dé Danann (Tribe of the goddess Danu), a semi-divine race, which conferred magical features to the stone, it served as coronation stone and it is said that all High kings of Ireland were crowned on it and that it will roar up in joy as soon as a rightful kings puts his feet on it. A kind of challenge similar to Excalibur and it´s stony prison...

That little mythological digression should last out to frame the atmospheric and stylistic setting for the music of the quintet, that was founded in a place, which makes it hard to spot the northern/ Celtic connection – videlicet Bologna, Italy. Despite that, LIA FAIL´s musical vocabulary seems credible nevertheless, drawing water from a well fed by a variety of veins like Folk, Neo-Classic, medieval ballads and a proper dose of Pop or to be a bit more vivid; from DEATH IN JUNE to LOREENA MCKENNITT and from MONICA RICHARDS to Walther von der Vogelweyde (just to name some obvious references, although I have to confess that this is a very rough outline!)

The music's main attraction is doubtlessly the combination of the male and female main vocals, whose timbre and colour is so contrasting, that their merging creates an enjoyable tension, a sensory alliance, like two complementary colours. Andrea Carboni´s voice owns that familiar "Neo folk"-timbre, a clean-cut language and emphasis with a swollen chest and a gaze focused on the horizon, meanwhile Sabella Spiga´s vocals (an pleasant occurrence in that genre anyway) has that elusive patina on it, a velvet surface, what makes it exceptional and pleasing. On the face of it, it even feels a bit out of place among the violins, flutes and cymbals, but soon you realize that appearances are deceitful and that there's  a stunning harmony of these alleged contrasts. Just take the song ‘Like a Star’ and you know what I mean.

Musically it is detectable that ‘Cynical Stones’ includes reworked songs from their first two EP´s, like ‘Leipzig’, ‘Restless Eyes’ and ‘In this Square’, because these are still very influenced by the classical Neo -Folk, simple arrangements build with clean guitars, decent drums and that kind of melancholy, that grabs you and pulls you down... gently but thrusting, meanwhile the newer tracks bear a bit more light and sway. ‘Just a Breath’ and ‘New Dimensions’ are more Indie-Pop than Folk (in a good way) and you literally feel the expansion of the musical horizon.

But even after a few listenings of that really good debut I think I'm not be able to avoid one point of criticism at last or better a perception of mine that clouds the acoustic sky! As good as the ten songs are, regarding to the single arrangements, atmosphere and intensity, as diluting is their felt homogeneity within the albums wholeness. With a few exceptions pace and rhythm are often too similar for drawing clear lines between the tracks, supported by the constant appearance of the clean guitar, the piano and the violin, what makes way for a consistent primary colour flowing and blowing through all songs. Some would call that concept but in this case it's not enough for the album's complete length.

Nevertheless...’Cynical Stones’ is a solid debut with a lot of good ideas and songs. Stylistically it even veers off the beaten path, sounding fresh but familiar... new words in a known language. So may the stone roar up in joy if the rightful kings puts his feet on it!


Tracklist

01.Restless Eyes
02.Lonely Anguish
03. New Dimension
04. Like A Star
05. Just A Breath
06. Leipzig
07. In This Square
08.Battlefield
09.Lost In The Wind
10. A Soldier...


Line-up

Nico Solìto - bass, percussions
Andrea Carboni - voice, flute
Sabella Spiga - voice
Edoardo Franco - guitars
Giuseppe Sansolino - drums, percussions


Website

https://www.facebook.com/cynical.stones / https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lia-Fail-Neofolk-from-Bologna/285545748076


Cover Picture

liafail cynicalstones


Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 6
Total: 6.5 / 10



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