MUSETTA disk has just arrived, nicely wrapped in a cute- artwork cover. What can I expect, a sugary happy hard core or nu nrg perhaps? I pressed the play button and started writing something and then… ‘Ophelia’s Song started’…
It was surprisingly analogue to what we normally receive. Real instruments with just a touch of lounge, jazz and ambient lead by crisp, well controlled and emotional voice weaving slow but interesting and complex melodies. My favorite part in ‘Ophelia’s Song’, and do not ask why, is when she says “cro-co-diles” so slowly and accentuated as if the word has lost its meaning. The first impression is – I am going to like this.
Next track, ‘We will fade out’, did not reach me as much as ‘Ophelia’s Song’ although it did feature some nice chorus. The track goes a bit slow and the mood is too sad for my taste but overall I must say – enjoyable.
‘Red Star’ like most tracks follows the clean and minimal music line, slightly melancholic and mysterious. Musseta will forgive me for lack of attention to otherwise perhaps poetic lyrics – as many electronic music lovers I have allowed myself to treat voice merely as another instrument – nonetheless in this case the most powerful instrument. I like this track, good emotional projection; I can almost see the soundscape in my head. Red Star is incidentally my favorite soccer team from Serbia – being red star, meant being associated with communism and Russia.
‘Some thoughts are hard to die’, and this track is there to remind us that something that sounds like
electronica can be successfully performed using orchestral sounds. This is a wonderful track, which however, does not sound entirely original. I can hear lot of influence from other similar bands – especially with its heavy and slow drum beat. Am I thinking Polyphonic Spree, Bjork? I am not too sure.
‘Catch 22′ – again, the melody is stunning. This is one of those tracks where you take your mind of whatever you are doing and think to yourself – ‘oh that’s nice’. Musetta’s wonderful melodic vocal performance is crisp and clean but I found the reverbed pops in the background somewhat distracting.
‘Standing by my side’- Here we go – Musseta shows its bright and cheeky side. Faster and more up beat with more jazz than other tracks on the CD, yet I found it a bit too plain and not as interesting as some of the previous compositions.
‘Nicotine’ is humorous in its irony and… how should I describe it to you… I guess a cheesy hammond-a-go-goish track. Very well done, I wonder what synthesizer they used for the initial melody. This track also carries a bit of a positive mood.
‘Peace and Melody’ is exactly what I will use to summarize this band’s work. Musetta produces wonderfully melodic compositions with a distinct style yet plenty of variety to keep the listener interested. What I find especially interesting is that electronic music in Musetta’s work serves a purpose as opposed to being the purpose.
This is one of those CDs, which you must have in your collection. Go seek more info and get yourself a copy, or research further on http://musetta.co.uk