Disco Volante
FormerWedding Presentfront man David Gedge has definitively left his former band behind with his new outfit, Cinerama. The guitar-driven lower-case pop of the Wedding Present has been upgraded to Pop with a capital P. Lush, adventurous, and beautifully melodic, Cinerama's second release (following 1998'sVa Va Voom) is a veritable feast for the senses. From the opening track's spaghetti Western styled guitar, it's obvious that the band name is no fluke, and the songs onDisco Volantenot only draw their sonic inspiration from such classic soundtrack composers asJohn BarryandEnnio Morricone, but play like mini-films or perhaps short stories put to film. This goes as far as the band's naming one song "Superman" and another "Lollobrigida" (the last name of a premier Italian cinema sex goddess). But, thankfully, "Disco Volante" is completely free of kitsch and irony, and it achieves a kind of timeless glamour that is positively romantic. Stretching beyond the usual pop-rock instrumentation to include accordion, vibes, xylophone, horns, and blankets of swoony strings on most of the tracks, "Disco Volante" manages to sound big but not bombastic, familiar but completely fresh. The key that holds it all together is Gedge's lovely tenor voice and unerring sense of melody, all infused with sort of upbeat good cheer that is a perfect antidote to the legions of nihilistic whiners who have come to dominate popular music in the last few years. Admirably aided by coproducer Steve Albini, the clear-eyed Pop of Cinerama is joy incarnate and sexy to boot.--Carl Hanni