We got notice of this a little while back and I’m happy to finally be able to discuss the strong work that Les Longs Adieux have birthed unto the world. The Italian duo consist of Frank Marrelli on guitars and e-Bow with vocalist Federica Garenna also contributing guitars as well as synths and programming. That makes for a lot of luscious sound coming from two people, but the conceit of the album was an uncanny conceptual gambit with the metaphoric conceit driving “Vertigo” being… the collapse of the World Trade Center! Surely this was a powerful catalyst of emotions to mine musically.

Les Longs Adieux: Vertigo – IT – DL [2024]

1. Sky Lobby
2. Flight 175
3. Antenna
4. Falling Man
5. Gander
6. Windows of the World
7. The Two Sides of The Sky
8. Molten Metal
9. Man Of The Clouds

“Sky Lobby” began with synths and drum machines powering up as if from nothing to ascend the hundreds of floor to the top. Once underway, it offered heart breaking melancholy punctuated by pitch perfect Post-Punk guitar and Ms. Garenna’s emotional vocals. The song served as a cinematic overture for the album that whetted one’s appetite for the rest of the program immediately.

The delay guitar of “Flight 175” was gorgeous and the motorik Simmons drumbeats pulled us along in the song’s slipstream. Federica’s stern vocals gave the track a feel of something from the “Cabaret: 2024” soundtrack. The pleading guitar and implacable synth bass, along with the deliciously sequenced eighth notes struck all of the right moves to invoke the finest of 1983 for our hungry ears.

The guitars echoed down glass corridors over playfully motorik beats on the upbeat [yet haunted] single worthy song “Antenna.” Ms. Garenna’s vocals were fully theatrical here; emoting with high melodrama as the peals of gorgeous guitar in the instrumental middle eight were just as eloquent.

The martial beats and the finely filigreed guitar vibe of “Falling Man” coupled with Frederica’s powerful delivery suggested the notion of Toyah fronting Cocteau Twins. This band were drawing inspiration from all of the right inspirations, albeit in new ways. Then, it could pull a song like “Gander”out of it’s playbook to assert their place in the Post-Punk pantheon. The methodical rhythms and percolating eighth notes formed a crystalline melody in the technological haze. The swirling and vertiginous middle eight was punctuated by expert beatbox with the rhythms pulling out in the coda to let the massive shards of synth texture and the pizzicato synth leads have the final word.

The galloping beat of “The Two Sides of The Sky” punctuated by beatbox and drum machine fills, propelled the song along magnificently. Then the abrupt shift of tone in the stark middle eight found Ms. Garenna uttering “I can’t breathe and I can’t escape” before pivoting to a vocal delivery that was pure Toyah Willcox to deliver all of the string patch melodrama the song required.

“Molten Metal” proffered a stately tempo with dreamlike guitar, to deliver a stirring ballad to echo down the marble corridors of the album. Never has collapse and destruction sounded so elegant. The closing “Man Of The Clouds” gave us synthetic bass lines pulsating over urgent rhythm programming for a vivid closure to the album.

Les Longs Adieux were new to me having only been active since 2020, but the Roman duo have earned a place in my Record Cell with their elegant European vibe coupled with the strong, Italian emoting of Ms. Garenna that immediately wins me over; it’s just usually not to be found in this sort of Post-Punk music! I’ve heard music that touched on this sort of vibe before. Jacqui Brookes was making music like this in 1983 and I’m happy to hear a new band exploring similar style and delivery. I’ve had to wait half a lifetime to enjoy Les Longs Adieux, but as of right now I can hardly wait for the band’s follow up to the excellent “Vertigo.” It’s strictly a DL for now at the price of a latte, but nothing bad would come out of topping up your purchase price on Bandcamp. An album this crisp deserves to be issued on physical format so let’s let LLA know they are greatly appreciated.

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