#croon

I think Sirius can sing

And well for that matter

It's a combination of natural talent and musical lessons he took as a kid

But he can just

Sing

He doesn't sing very often (and when he does it's often classic rock)

But he can easily hit notes and his voice is just

So pretty?

Makes you want to stop and listen

The Marauders love it

They were floored when they found out tho

And James tries to get him to sing all the time

(James can't sing)

But he only really sings if he's in a really good mood, if it's a distraction for a prank, or if he's drunk and it's karaoke night

He kills karaoke night by the way

IS ANN AIR SHON FHÈIN AN NI 'N CAT CRÒNAN.

[It is for itself that the cat croons.]

Bho an leabhar, "Gaelic Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings" le T. D. MacDonald

After visiting the minimalist psychedelia, folk exotica, choral majesties, and weirdo prog of Pepe Maina’s Scerizza and the balearic guitars and ambient rhythm evinronments of Riccardo Giagni’s Kaunis Maa, Archeo Recordings finished out 2019 with class and style by reissuing the Maria Acquaviva EP, an ultra-rare collection of deceptively complex Italo-pop. As with many of the artists featured by Manu•Archeo, it is hard to find much information out there about Mario Acquaviva, and though he released a handful of LPs and 7”s across the 70s and 80s, the Mario Acquaviva EP is his most well known and sought after release. For good reason too, as it collects together four expansive pop adventures that augment a conventional line-up of piano, guitar, bass, and drums with expressive flourishes of island percussion, Hammond organ, saxophone, and cello. Overtop, Acquaviva croons and swoons, his melodious and soothing vocals sweeping between breathy whispers, solar scats, and anthemic serenades, with occasional backing vocals sourced by a choir of sunshine divas. And as mentioned earlier, the songs are surprisingly dense and reveal Acquaviva’s multi-varied sonic interests and visionary skills of composition, for within his micro-universes of pop splendor, he deftly treats the listener to atmospheres of cosmic ambient, mediterranean disco, 60s psychedelia, Floyd-ian prog, seaside AOR, and tropical funk…the kind of dazzling and ambitious sonic detours that pull my mind to Japanese city pop, as evocations of Yamashita and Sato intermingle with a distinct air of romantic fantasy that could only come from Italy.

Mario Acquaviva - Mario Acquaviva EP (Archeo Recordings, 2019) “Notturno Italiano” begins with interstellar feedback surrounding radio broadcasts before a silky smooth disco rhythm slams onto the scene, backed by pads that coo like angels. There’s a touch of Wall-era Pink Floyd to the riffadelic guitar quacks and funky bassline strut, the vibe cool, confident, and slightly sexual. Acquaviva croons delicately, his voice almost whispered while delivering romantic secrets, and there’s a growing sense of urgency as cosmic clavinet riffs descent upon the mix. Then, erupting into the chorus, the vibe softens towards a soft-rock glide, with tropical percussions bopping beneath Acquaviva’s joyous vocal adventures, e-pianos alighting on rainbow runs that spiral towards the stars, and Hammond organs and liquid Leslie’s swirling. There’s a brief bridge where cinematic brass themes intertwine with ethereal hazes and later, after working through another sexual disco and funk guitar strut, we ascend once more into a chorus of AOR majesty, with horns supporting the sunshine vocals and radiophonic transmissions suffusing the stereo field. We are treated to further deep space ambiance in the intro to “Ho person tutto,” as bass drones surround neon electro-tracers. A stuttering rhythm enters the scene, its urgency tempered by softly distorted slap basslines, and eventually, we flash into sunny pop brilliance, with drums locking into a narcotic swing led by airy snare and ride accents. Rhodes chords radiate beneath the yearning vocal performance and occasionally, the singing gives way to ocean crystal keyboard dances. Elsewhere, the track revels in zany 60s psychedelia, with cellos slashing the air and flutey synthesizers dancing like forest fairies. And during a climax of flower power pop perfection, Acquaviva backs into a closed-eye “na na na” refrain while brass synths sing hymns to the sunset. Then, as the track comes to a close, Acquaviva and his band erupt into a joyous fusion groove, where frogsong brass riffs bounce as the firefunk basslines and drums grow more urgent. Bongos cascade and timbale fills pop off amidst earworm brass fanfares as sleigh bells start jingling, setting the stage for a solo sax journey awash in solar jazz and seaside funk fantasy.

Keystrokes aglow in sustain pedal ambiance set up a backdrop of ivory balladry in “Sei ancora buono” while Acquaviva croons overhead…his performance breathtaking in its intimate and soulful sensuality. A tapped beat of kick drum and hi-hat enters and a slide guitar gives a touch of western magic until suddenly, we break into a chorus of city pop perfection, as all encompassing vocal hooks soar, tambourines jangle, single note basslines throb, and Fender guitar licks evoke the 50s tinged beach pop of Yamashita, Shigeru Suzuki, and Piper…the vibe like cruising in cherry red convertible down a scenic coastal highway. During a pulsating drum bridge, a Leslie-soaked organ solo swims through atmospheric keyboard swells and later, as the drums reduce to a Nick Mason-style cosmos pulse, guitars quack and a sax sings softly. And eventually, we sweep again into the chorus, now with backing singers adding soulful diva energies, saxophones and six-strings conversing, and Acquaviva pleading in earnest…all before an outro of tenor soloing and oceanic organ wavefronts. The electronic rhythm boxes of “Fortuna” set tom-toms panning and cymbals skipping as an eclectic panorama of sun-soaked acoustic guitar, wiggly fusion slapbass, and meditative e-piano unfolds, with Acquaviva singing in a daydream whisper. This subdued beachside hippie groove eventually gives over to fusion jam exotica, as Acquaviva repeats the track title in desperation while his band revels in the same sort of tropical funk and equatorial AOR as Hosono and Sato, with basslines sliding and slapping, e-pianos sparkling like underwater crystals, and drums swinging and swaying like palms in an coastal breeze. After a strange midtro where synthesized liquids ascend over tribal percussion, we flow back into the acoustic guitar-led balearica, with expressive basslines dancing and electro-drums generating a breezy seaside pulse. At some point a percussive squarewave synth solo mimics the dance of a kalimba and later after another ebullient chorus of tropical funk exotica, the track gives over to an extended synthesizer solo…a blazing prog-fusion adventure soaring through an island pop paradise.

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"At this time of year," said she,

"My wants are very few ...

A cheery fire, a bed, some food,

A visitor or two.

I'll croon a bit - I cannot sing -