A Listening Party with The Bradipos IV
The Bradipos IV - s/t - Hi-Tide Recordings
When a band self-titles an album, it’s a way of saying, “this is us, this is who we really are.” It is a proclamation of honesty, especially for a band who already has six albums out. The Bradipos IV, despite their slothful attitude, have consistently released a record every three years or so since their inception in 1996. The honesty, as presented here, shows a willingness to evolve and move away from the aggressive attitudes and tempos of their youth, and focus on arrangements that come from a tight group of friends that have played together for 24 years. The honesty comes from recording in a live situation, with the band members all in one room, which dictates absolutely minimal fixes.
I had the opportunity to listen to the test pressing of the new record with Amerigo, Francesco, Enrico and Massimiliano at their home in Caserta, Italy, getting their input on the recording while scribbling my own notes. The Bradipos never give credits on their albums for who wrote what song, or who takes the lead, so it was fascinating to get this information. Many of the songs started out as rhythm guitars from Massi that Francesco would add a melody to. Drummer Enrico wrote three of the songs, and he is, apparently, quite a good guitarist.
A big change for Amerigo is that, during the pandemic, he took lessons from Fugazi bassist Joe Lally via Zoom, and his bass lines show more confident melodic movement. The Bradipos work out their arrangements as a group with each member creating their own parts, leading to their unique sound. It’s a unified vision. They all commented that producer Lorenzo Valdambrini had some subtle but important suggestions that tightened up the group.
Digging into the grooves, side one contains the more heartfelt and personal songs, and side two is uptempo with a more traditional surf sound. Producer Valdambrini chose to mix the album almost entirely in mono, and I only heard two (shocking) instances where there was some left-right separation. Overall, the drums are dry, and with the mono mix, their sound present and snappy, with the abundant reverb on the guitars making a lush wash.
The moodier side one starts with a song from Enrico, Endless Bummer, a reference to the pandemic, but despite its downer title, has a compelling, uplifting melody. Slated to be the titular track, When The Sirens Sing, is something of an mini-epic, with a dynamic arrangement co-written by Massi and Francesco. Little Scorpion is a song from Massi and he takes the lead on this Spanish style song with the surf approved Andalusian cadence. Savage Season is written by and features the lead of Francesco. To stretch a metaphor, it reminds me of Neapolitan (Napoli) style gelato with three distinct layers of lead, rhythm and bass that melt together for a tasty sensation. Waiting, another Covid collaboration of Massi and Francesco, begins delicate and pristine, sending a chill up the hairs of my arm, before a beautiful trumpet section opens the song up to a satisfying crescendo.
The rocking side two starts with 50, named because i ragazzi all entered their fifth decade in the last couple years. In this song you can really hear Amerigo’s melodic bass lines. Cocaine Cowboys reminds me of The Woodies at their happiest. Scuola di Ballo Al Sole (Dance School on a Sunny Day) is an obscure Morricone song from a Pasolini film, Uccellacci e uccellini , starring their beloved comedian Toto. They have done a significant rearrangement from the original, which had a crazy double time drum rhythm. The last two songs were both written by drummer Enrico. Sloth ‘til Death has some great guitar interplay with Massi playing a staccato double picked melody while Francesco arrpegiates. Zombie Maraja has Enrico laying down a twist beat with nods to the Penetration guitar riff. This is the first place I heard true stereo when a wide tremolo kicks in for a great effect.
The Bradipos IV’s eponymous album was recorded in October of 2021 in Livorno, the hometown of producer Lorenzo Valdambrini. The studio, Bigwave Recording, has a large main room with a tall ceiling, that allowed the band to record with all the drums and Lorenzo’s giant Showman amps in same room, and not require the use of headphones. The band was not present for mixing, and gave Lorenzo a free hand to mix it as he chose. Valdambrini also made the connection with Hi-Tide Recordings to ensure an international release.
The group is very satisfied with this album, feeling that it's their best music and also has the best sound. Watching their career closely, I am inclined to agree, and see this album as another great one from a consistently interesting band.
