Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Rev Rev Rev

Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient

Label: Kinotone Records Release Date: 19/02/2016

102229
domgourlay by Dom Gourlay February 19th, 2016

While it would be fair to say there'd be no such thing as shoegaze without the first wave of psychedelic rock, the new breed of psych rockers probably wouldn't exist if the original 'gazers hadn't laid the blueprint either. Joining the dots between all three eras are Italian quartet Rev Rev Rev, and for the most part of Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient, they make each transition sound fluent to the point of being effortless.

Having initially burst onto the scene two-and-a-half years ago via their self-titled debut, the Modena based foursome have put their hearts and souls into formulating a follow-up worthy of the name. Inspired by a quote from Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations - the title translates as "Magic flowers droned" - Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient serves as a cordial melange of ideas and styles cut into 12 individual pieces. All of which teeter between shards of all out noise and distortion and quieter, more reflective compositions.

Some of the reference points make themselves known instantaneously. Others simply lie in the background, deceptively cast under the spell of Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient's creators. From the moment reverb heavy instrumental 'Buzzing Flowers Ecstasy' kickstarts the album into life, Rev Rev Rev make no bones about where their influences lie. Straddling the fine line between My Bloody Valentine's effervescent beauty and the sonic belligerence of A Place To Bury Strangers, it sets the scene instinctively for what follows.

Laura Iacuzio's Nico-esque tones punctuate the primitive death march of 'Nightwine' and flange heavy 'Travelling Westbound', the latter fairly reminiscent of The Horrors (then) sudden departure into similar territories on Primary Colours. While it's probably not unfair to say Rev Rev Rev aren't the most original band around, their delivery and execution of songs crafted for a genre currently enjoy a second wave of its own is masterful in places, and definitely not to be scoffed at.





Aided and abetted by Sebastian Lugli's sonic flights of fancy on guitar and the taut rhythm section of Andrea Dall'Omo and Greta Benatti, Iacuzio's voice acts as a focal point and guide for the majority of Rev Rev Rev's compositions. While the vocals are decidedly low in the mix and therefore lyrically indecipherable, they offer a similar level of extra instrumentation to what Liz Fraser contributed with the Cocteau Twins.

Elsewhere, tanpura player Tatiana Scalercio adds an extra element to their sound which renders both 'Ripples' and 'Aloft'into dream like odysseys. Nevertheless, Rev Rev Rev do seem more comfortable when the decibel levels are reached and its that which Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient will no doubt be remembered for.

Nonetheless, another welcome addition to the psych rock/shoegaze canon.

![102229](http://dis.resized.images.s3.amazonaws.com/540x310/102229.jpeg)
  • 7
    Dom Gourlay's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Basement

Promise Everything

Mobback
102228
102245

Kula Shaker

K2.0

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND