When the bio says a band’s style has been described as “Mediterranean infused pop rock,” that probably doesn’t help the listener much. Unless, of course, you can quickly name off multiple Mediterranean infused pop rock acts. (Most probably can’t). Then again, the lyrics to Vittorio and The Bridges’ single, “Volero,” references the Greek mythological figure, Icarus, which was originally about a character that flew too close to the sun. It’s also a smart, melodic piece of music.
This track moves to a pop-ish groove. The lead vocal is both gentle and loud in places. At times, the lead male singing is joined by female counterpoint. It begins with a strummed electric guitar part over an elastic bass line. Then drums and singing come in. The singing is sincere and nearly pushed to the limit, range-wise, in order to saturate it in as much emotion as humanly possible. There’s also a breathlessness to it, as well as a vibrato is sometimes incorporated in key places.
With its backing female vocals, the song leans much closer to pop than rock. It’s a little like Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side,” in that regard. You get the feeling, though, this group nevertheless has a rock and roll heart. There are only pop elements woven inside the track to give it a more appealing veneer. However, one imagines this is a group that can also break out with some stomping rock and roll when they want to/need to.
As with the best rock music, this song details a character pushing against life’s limitations. If you tell an ambitious person to, say, never fly close to the sun (if that were even possible), they might just rebel against your suggestion and attempt it just to spite you. Just past the halfway mark of the song, there’s a pretty electric guitar solo. Just as the recording’s backing vocals suggest pop music, this instrumental insertion infers jazz noodling, which is quite appealing. The song’s instrumentation fades out with a jangling electric guitar part that sounds a tad Johnny Marr-ish.
Although this song’s lyric references Icarus, the band actually sings about another guy. Not Icarus, but a modern guy named Johnny. One can well imagine, though, how there are Icarus’s among every generation. Perhaps there’s at least a little Icarus in all of us.
Vittorio and The Bridges features Vittorio Raimondi as its lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. Michael Muilenburg plays bass, while Jody Sipe is its drummer. Raimondi, as you might guess from his name, is Italian, and relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2008. Before that, he lived in Norway and London, so he’s been quite the traveler throughout his life.
ONLINE:
https://vittorioandthebridges.com
https://www.facebook.com/vittorioandthebridges
https://www.instagram.com/Vittorioandthebridges
Smart pop-rock like “Volero” is rare, which is why literate rock fans are always happy when songs like this one come along. Instead of packing verses and choruses with rock & roll cliches (unless, of course, you’re AC/DC), can be dull and repetitive. This song, however, will keep your brain on its toes, so to speak. You’ll listen attentively, especially since it points back to a famous Greek mythological story. Some might say they believe they can fly, but Icarus actually could – at least, so the old tale tells us. Similarly, Vittorio and The Bridges take full and joyous flight with this pretty new single.
-Dan MacIntosh
