The Regency

Questa l'ho scritta in inglese (non per tirarmela ma perché, originariamente, la doveva leggere un aglosassone) e finché non ho il tempo di tradurla ve la cuccate così. Basta che ordinate il disco. Il link per comunicare coi Nokeys lo trovate nel menù a sinistra di questa pagina, in basso.

The Regency

What is “The Regency”? A strange rock and roll beast it is, who dwells in a musical landscape perfectly balanced between past and present, southern and northern Europe, New Wave punk and more luminous sounds reminiscent of late 80’s U2.
This brew, which may taste somewhat anachronistic on paper, is concocted with such straightforward love for melody and sincere emotion to result sweet, sparkling and utterly exhilarating.
The band is “No Keys”. They come from Italy and are Rico (vocals), Luca (guitar), Gatto (bass) and Bonzo (drums). Their producer is Swedish born Stefan Boman of “Kent” fame. Together they have recorded ten songs that are short, catchy and powerful. From opener “Rock’n’roll Pistolero”, a cocky blues rock played with a boldness that will make you shiver, sung half in Italian and half in English, it is clear that these guys are aiming high. It takes guts to sink your roots in groups like Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Cure, U2 and find your way to a sound that is both intimate and crowd pleasing.
The single “Eyes of Riot” alternates battering lyrics and rhythm section with a chorus that opens up sky high and crystal clear. Uplifting: an instant classic. The same could be said of the companion piece “Pretty Girls” whereas “Dolore dolcissimo”, the only song that displays an all Italian lyric, finds comfort in the warm tongue of the peninsula, so rarely associated to this genre.
The second half of the record feels more sedated and contemplative: lonely guitars and synth find their ways through the wall of sound revealing deeper, almost sensuous emotions, ripe for Rico’s voice at his lowest and warmest.
At 39 minutes “The Regency” feels just perfect: the sound is cohesive all the way through, the writing is tense and never looses focus. The mix of languages is most welcome and refreshing in a time when borders have lost their cultural meaning.
Don’t fight the Pistolero, it’s useless, you will whistle and mumble it to yourself for a long time anyway.