7C
Compartment C

Cool artwork was my first thought when this record came out of the padded envelope that I had fished out of my metal mailbox just a minute or so earlier. It looks different and the Italian trio called 7C is certainly a bit on the different side with their style. And I do think a bit of copy pasting from the press material is a good way to describe the story through the album: “Compartment C takes its title from a painting of Edward Hopper, an american artist who is famous for his great ability to show, in the mid twentieth, the loneliness of contemporary life within big american cities.
Throughout the album, 7C describes how man’s life is even more alienating nowadays, since he has to struggle with frenetic everyday life and technology. Each track proceeds by telling the story of a regular day of any human being forced to run from sunrise (intro), facing the chaotic urban jungle to get to work (approaching a city). By the late morning, only half the job has been done (eleven a.m.) while the city is alive and it’s pulsing like a continuous and steady background (eye & ear control).
Going back home, he has to face the chaotic traffic which plagues the core of the city like a hectic heartbeat(yonkers). Only when he’s back home, the urban man can break down and cry his heart out of desperation (depression), self aware of the alienating life he’s living. The day is over, there’s no redemption, and the only way out is his death (the end of the day). At the same time, a new life is born (outro), condemned to the same fate.” A very long quote there, but a good story.

It is told in avant-garde, experimental jazz-rock style, more than that is difficult to use as a description. Stylewise a little bit different, it has a decent production, eight tracks and decent variation. A little bit unpredictable, and the playing is kept short as well, so there is much to salute these guys for. And I think especially for the fact that they are a bit different and does their own thing, they don’t copy-paste anyone else, that is a great thing.

And I think the story is interesting, the balance between the modern electronic instruments and the more classic analogue creates an interesting balance and dynamic through the album. An album the requires something from me as a listener, it is of course instrumental as most very experimental music. I like the album, it has much to offer but at the same time it feels like there is something missing – it isn’t as good as it should have been but I think it is an album well worth checking out for the one who likes their music a little bit different. I think it is a great musical adventure but perhaps not always as great musically.

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