Written by Marilù Ciabattoni
Discovered via Musosoup
Discovered via https://app.musosoup.com #sustainablecurator
The only way to describe “St. Lola” by the Italian act Lolita Terrorist Sounds–but you can call him Maurizio–is one question mark after the other.
Let’s break it down element by element.
First, we hear some distorted arcs–the same you hear in horror movies–which create a bit of suspense before the drums and vocals kick in. The drums–or is it a beat?--are punctual and methodical, almost resembling a funeral or military march. Very official.
Alongside the drums, some electric guitar strolls accompany the vocalist in the same methodical fashion: there’s no space for improvisations or surprises.
Maurizio might be drawing inspiration from 1990s Italian rock bands like Verdena, best known for their distorted sound.
Or maybe there is an element of surprise, represented by Maurizio’s singing: halfway between a metal growl and a zombie prisoner that screams for his life, the artist’s voice goes up and down, alternating between one vocal range and the next. His vocal mannerisms are sometimes theatrical and sometimes comical, as he clearly enunciates the story he’s trying to tell.
Which takes us to, the lyrics.
It is a very short text, which might or might not contain references to pop culture or literary tradition.
We definitely know that there’s a Marlene on a bridge in Germany (is Maurizio taking inspiration from Måneskin’s Marlena, appearing in a couple of their songs?). It seems to be a dialogue between two people, a dialogue filled with poetic yet morbid imagery like the black heart, “two vultures on your arm” and “you’re droning my heart.” Very Frankenstein-like, I must say.
The song ends with a simple, “Feed me as I’ll feed you.” How romantic.
“Lolita Terrorist Sounds” will definitely not appeal to everyone but I think you should still give it a shot.