When I want my room filled with musical magic and delight I'll often turn, as any sane individual would, to Ataraxia for that. You can always rely on Vandelli's innate ability to create a reflective mood, seemingly with unerring ease, on his eloquent guitar, which is a major part of the emotive understatement that forms one identifiable part of their sound - the other being vocal fire.
Now, when I was a brat at school one teacher really did have me sussed, plonking a book down in front of my frowning face one day as I was daydreaming the lesson away. When I examined it I found he had given me Coleridge's 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner': not, thankfully, for the poem, which I struggled through out of politeness, but because Mervyn Peake had done the illustrations. Anyway, that's by the by, although there is something haunting about the poem, as there is with Ataraxia's music. Indeed, I once intentionally crossed the path of this poem again during the mid 70's when David Bedford released an ambient album about it on Virgin, a sort of professorial Mike Oldfield in many ways: not very good, in other words.
The sea has played its part in many Ataraxia compositions, so the fact Vittorio has wanted to make an album inspired by this literally wretched tale is no surprise. It's a story of seeking redemption and direction; a story which bleaches the heart and hurts the head, although you'll be relieved to know the album doesn't quite go that far, and Francesca Nicoli's' presence on vocals may confuse you. How can it possibly be different, you surely are asking yourself, is she is also singing here?
Well, it certainly is, sometimes, and isn't at others, if that helps. 'Farewell Farewell, Thou Wedding-Guest' starts us off with a strict bass, sonorous backing vocals and stabbing strings and with typically measured, spectral vocals but the closest comparison I'll conjure is if Army Of Lovers had purely been a serious band. It's got more conventional modern flourishes in among the artistry on some tracks. 'Beneath The Lighting And The Moon' puts the Med in the Medici, as traditional warmth floods in, and then 'My Heart As Dry As Dust' sees the more semi-gutteral vocals rolling up from the base of the mouth as the music twitches comfortingly. When these more expected traits emerge it's clearly close to Ataraxia, but less extreme.
The searing 'The Ocean Green' is very Ataraxia, as the vocals pull you in then push you gently away again, while the guitar is measured, relaxed and suggestive. 'A Sadder And Wiser Man' is cute, skipping along quite smartly with skittish warbling behind a sharp main delivery, chiming music and fulsome electric guitar (another newer touch). This is an exquisitely cheeky song, while also quite dour. To achieve that takes utter brilliance!
'The Bay Is White In Silent Light' is mildly sad, 'The Curse In A Dead Man's Eye' brings out a more abstract stretch of sounds and recurrent spasms of the earlier tracks comes back to us before the bubbling title track becomes flustered by the suddenly soft or wiry vocals, and this is verging on commercial it's so clean and pushy. 'The Death-Fire Danced At Night' is more melancholic with mysterious and partially whispered vocals, then 'I Killed The Albatross' feels unnecessarily repetitive, and suitably depressed initially, with some rawk guitar pain going on.
Post-slaughter, 'For The Sky And The Sea And The Sea And The Sky!' is moody but not grim, so I think - am I not really following a story? 'The Moment I Could Pray' is more gentle, with sweet singing and light, almost soothing guitar touches. 'Singeth A Quiet Tune' is a jaunty old shanty, that gets its own demented circus ringmaster, close to Andi Sex Gang territory, and it ends with 'Sails In The Sun', a little piece of guitar pleasantry.
It is strange, but compelling, in the same ways Ataraxia are, with a few less peaks and troughs. Several of these songs could actually end up among your favourites of the year if you give it a try. Ataraxia fans will obviously devour it, but I would simply recommend everyone to do so.
http://www.equilibriummusic.com/ - brilliant label site!
http://www.ataraxia.net/