Cinerama - Disco Volante

  by Cila Warncke

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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The ever-nimble David Gedge has once again plucked the sweetest fruit from the tree of musical possibility with the release of Cinerama’s second album, Disco Volante – a follow up to 1998’s pop sparkler Va Va Voom. Never one to rest on his laurels, Gedge has once again created a juicy, pop-tastic paean to modern love’s joys and predicaments that at once embraces and expands upon Cinerama’s debut album. Here, still, are the irresistibly sing-along tunes, but this time they’ve bulked up a bit, swaggering with the added muscle of electric guitar that fans of The Wedding Present will find familiar. However, don’t mistake Disco Volante for a re-hash of The WP’s glory days, it is a self-assured, tightly knit album that stands firmly on its own abundant merits. Opening with the weak-kneed, jaw-on-the-floor rumination of ‘146 Degrees’ Disco Volante establishes its wide-eyed attitude early. Visually fixated, songs such as ‘Your Charms’ and ‘Because I’m Beautiful’ are essential listening for anyone who’s ever gone to a party and spent the whole night gawping at an obliviously beautiful stranger. While the stellar single ‘Wow’ is a delightfully tongue-in-cheek take on the plight of men who just can’t say no. As always, Gedge serves up delicious, seductive music with a double helping of nudge-nudge, wink-wink lyrics. Concocting, among other treats, ‘Aprés Ski’ a catchy-yet-disturbing look at May-December romance – with a twist. But then, things are rarely as simple as ‘happily ever after’ in the world of Cinerama, which makes it an uncannily empathic musical mirror on everyday life. One that reflects its share of poignant moments, such as ‘Let’s Pretend,’ and the wistful ‘Superman.’ Mercifully, however, Disco Volante steers clear of the happy-song-sad-song-happy-song pop formula. For one thing, none of the tracks are that easily categorised – waltzing instead on the precarious middle ground one might call realism. Moreover, every line of every song is delivered with unadulterated sincerity. David Gedge sings not just like he means it, but like his life depends on every word. His voice effortlessly manoeuvres between sulky, sultry murmurs and buoyant affirmation, never missing a mood. All of which conspires to make this CD the sort of music that can either pick you up when you’re sad, or make you nervous when you thought you were happy. It’s a bit like listening to a Van Gogh painting really – it’s bright, richly textured, and immanently appealing, but you can’t get away from the fact that there’s a little madness lurking in even the prettiest of pictures.

Track Listing:-

1 146 Degrees
2 Lollobrigida
3 Your Charms
4 Heels
5 Unzip
6 Apres Ski
7 Superman
8 Because I'm Beautiful
9 Let's Pretend
10 Wow (Extended Version)
11 Your Time Starts Now

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCinerama

Label Links:-

http://www.scopitones.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/TheWeddingPresentOfficial
https://twitter.com/weddingpresent

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Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
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