“Raise your glasses, everyone!” Festival season is officially in swing, and to celebrate, we introduce a superb new EP, from an Italian folk-rock and bluegrass blending band, whose songwriting and unity as a live act is brilliantly entertaining.
Featuring five original songs, The Mystery Of The Unknown begins with a folk-rock and gothic exploration of dark, mysterious lyrics, with an instantly catchy melody, live rhythms and strings, all carving out a catchy organic groove, with smooth, soulful and distinct vocals at the forefront.
Cesare Verdacchi & The Duke’s Winer are an impressive band, with a timeless set-up welcoming guitars, vocals, violin, banjo and bass. It’s a spacious and genuine capture, and the songwriting tops off and cleverly contrasts that summertime feel, with something intriguing and gripping to cling to. The melody rains down to bring through infectious resolve of ‘I found my hell on Earth’.
That’s something this project encapsulates well – the juxtaposition of uplifting folk grooves and darker, unsettling and interesting stories and scenes, which naturally draw you in.
Versatility is important, and works best when a clear identity continues to connect.
Unlucky Vampire Girl is quick to change the tempo and energy – an upbeat, knees-up folk-rock crescendo from the start, with fast-paced scenes and addictive string riffs and drums, alongside another unpredictable story, and all still grounded by Cesare Verdacchi’s unmistakable voice – and the unrelenting unity and tightness of this group of musicians.
Completing the line-up, Katija Di Giulio plays violin, Marco Pisaneschi the drums, and Andrea Mattei the bass. The EP was mixed by Andrea Mattei at Trick Studio in Rome, and the artwork was created by the very talented cartoonist Tiziana Battista.
These five songs in full present a theatrical and diverse listen for modern music fans, with a-cappella choir sounds and fully-loaded rhythmic celebrations all intermittently taking centre stage. We even get a twist of soul-rock electric guitar, within the likes of The Mystery Of The Unknown – a shoulder-swaying saunter through dark scenes and mystique, with an unexpectedly energising second half; a track that no-doubt makes for a sensational live show moment.
Then for Skeletons in the Closet, Miss Michela Imbrogino features, to add further vocal dynamic to an enchanting and soulful highlight, before the warming riffs and catchy verses of Hobo bring things to an impassioned finish, which is not too dissimilar from the energy of the opening song.
Bookended with emotional conviction and slick, seductive musical refrains, The Mystery of the Unknown takes you right to the centre of the action, with fascinating original stories and timeless folk-rock grooves and expressions all seamlessly connected.
If you’re new to the name, and if folk-rock or Gothic, folk-punk and bluegrass musicianship and all-together-now songs are your jam – this EP is an absolute must, and Cesare Verdacchi & The Duke’s Winers are undoubtedly a band worth seeking out this summer.
Find Cesare Verdacchi & The Duke’s Winer on Instagram & Facebook.
