Artist/ Band: Boris Savoldelli
Title: Biocosmopolitan
Label: MoonJune Records
Year of Release: 2011
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

This is an extremely melodic CD with multi layered vocals, giving it a choral sound much of the time. The style is somewhat varied but pop is the main content. You cannot help but be reminded of Bobby McFerrin throughout the recording but it is very similar to Rob Mounsey’s Flying Monkey Orchestra CD’s. In fact this would be the closest comparison I know. It has the trumpet and fancy bass with the same very rhythmically oriented compositions. With that said, it has many dimensions as for as sound goes. It helps that Boris has added a great fusion bassist Jimmy Haslip and a super trumpet player Paolo Fresu. There is one more group that I can reference very quickly as to the bulk of the sound on “Biocosmopolitan” and that is the vocal acrobatics of Godley and Creme (ex 10CC) with their super studio productions. So if any or all of these comparisons are loved by the reader, then you’ll love this disc.

I love the fact this is song oriented and not at all some abstract vocal experiment.( Savoldelli put out a previous CD with guitarist Elliot Sharp called “Protoplasmic” also on Moonjune Records that was indeed improv and dark, with none of the accessibility of this CD). These are actually very good songs. And many are super progressive pop just as I suggested, in Godley and Creme mode. Sure, there is a lot of that Bobby McFerrin do duuuuh doooah dup style but it mixes well with what Boris is doing here. The trumpet adds to the exotic nature. The CD is fun, but it’s also deep enough to study and be enthralled by with multiple listens. The harmonies are complex and the way each song is composed, it’s perfectly and oddly interlocked in very cool rhythms. Boris, an Italian vocalist who has studied operatic singing, not only does all the vocals in solo and multi layered format, but he uses his voice for many of the percussive sounds as well. I could picture someone like Brian Eno producing this. In fact, you will hear some influence from that very source. ( his pop stuff that is ).

Although I have given several references as to what this disc sounds like, “Biocosmopolitan” has a great deal of flavors from all over the world and even a beautiful ballad “Biocosmo” in Italian ( it also includes a version of this in English at end of disc ). There is no boredom here. And just to give the listener one more unexpected thing, there is a Jimi Hendrix cover (Crosstown Traffic) in his own special way. Really cool. This is one interesting recording. I hope to hear more of this on his next release. I for one love it because I need this type of variety in my musical world. RECOMMENDED!

Reviewed by Lee Henderson on March 29th, 2011

Tracks:

01. Aria
02. Biocosmopolitan
03. Concrete Clima
04. The Discordia
05. Kerouac in New York City
06. Is Difficult to Fly without Whisky
07. Dandy Dog
08. Danny is a Man Now
09. Biocosmo
10. Lovecity
11. Springstorm
12. The Miss Kiss
13. My Barry Lindon
14. Closin' Theme
15. Crosstown Traffic (Bonus Track)
16. Biocosmo (English Version) (Bonus Track)

Reviewed Discography

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