By DJ Monk
Long-term ÜR readers should need no introduction to Stiv Cantarelli, one half of The Abbiati Cantarelli Conspiracy, to give this new project its full titular respect. ‘Way back in the mists of time (well, the arse end of 2014 to be precise), he earned the respect of our former amico Double D when he teamed up with fellow rock ‘n’ reprobates The Silent Strangers to tickle his eardrums with the excellent ‘Banks Of The Lea’ album. The former Satellite Inn frontman then went on to record with east London garage punk legends Ed Deegan and Pete Bennett before retreating to home to the rather more civilized surroundings of his native Florence. Now, he has re-emerged with this debut collaboration with Ed Abbiati, former mainman with Italian Americana outift Lowlands, who found himself at something of a loose end when his band disintegrated at the start of last year…
Originally released in Italy in October, ‘Beautiful, By Night’ has now got a deserved international relaunch, and boy are we at URHQ glad it has been, as this gorgeous little album otherwise would have passed us by. Given the background of the two main protagonists, it should come as no surprise that there is a very lo-fi, garage vibe to ‘Beautiful…’, with the songs delivered in a drawling, laidback, almost laconic style that belies the evident energy involved in their creation. And if you’re looking for an immediate reference point then you hardly need to look much further than the likes of Green On Red – which is hardly surprising, given the involvement of Chris Cacavas and his heaving organ in the project, which is completed by Joe Berreca and his heart wrenching glissando slide, alongside Cantarelli’s sometime Satellite Inn/Silent Strangers stixman, Antonio Perugini.
Imagine Nick Cave and Adam Darski (in his Me And That Man persona) jamming with the Robinson brothers, with Messrs Springsteen, Thunders, Van Zandt (choose any of ‘em) and Zimmerman occasionally jumping in on the harmonies while The Glimmer Twins drop acid in a puddle of grease in the corner and you’re sort of halfway towards the groove of this vibrant yet pathos-laden celebration of the darker side of the rock ‘n’ roll canon. While they may celebrate the fact that they ‘Never Gave Up’ and have lived through all of life’s adversities to see another ‘Saturday Night’, and they may plead with us to like them, they do so in a way which reflects the fact that rock ‘n’ roll needs its darker aspects in order to make it even more alive.
An album that truly lives up to its title: beautiful, dark, bluesy, punky all in equal measure. If you’re a fan of any of the artists referenced above, then you definitely need to check out this little gem before it passes you by.
- ‘Beautiful, At Night’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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