Frustratingly, that intimacy at the heart of Mondaze can sometimes come across as cold and distant when Matteo shrouds his wispy vocals. It works for Words Undone, a man waiting on one end of a phone line, the hum of static and screes of guitar the only response they get. But elsewhere, it is easy to feel stranded among the tsunami swells of reverb. ‘I feel lost in a galaxy of thoughts,’ Matteo mumbles on Lost. It’s a shame that in songs that ache for connection, he should hide himself away.
These are minor quibbles, though, from an otherwise beguiling album. For anyone who has ever wondered what Fugazi jamming with Slowdive would sound like, check out How Soon Is Soon?, then wonder at what sweet crashing noise Mondaze will conjure next.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Slow Crush, My Bloody Valentine, NOTHING.
Late Bloom is released on December 10 via Church Road