The riffs are cutting and to the point, the musicianship exemplary, the harmonies enhancing: 'Rouge' is original and imaginative.

Modern Rock with a Classic Rock twist is what is on offer on the follow-up to the promising 'Imago'. This time around, however, the whole shebang is far more mature, well-produced and with a set of songs far more dynamic than the debut.

Star of the show on 'Rouge' is undoubtedly the charismatic vocalist Federico Mondelli who really shines on the Hard Rock groove of 'Phenomenons', the quirky Maroon 5-tinged 'Blah Blah Blah' and the flowing, groove-orientated Pop of 'Shibuya'.

The riffs are cutting and to the point, the musicianship exemplary, the harmonies enhancing and 'Rouge' is original and imaginative enough to avoid Cookie-Cutter Rock comparisons. Think M5 jamming with Royal Republic and Orson with a seventies Rock edge and you'd get Be The Wolf.

'Gold Diggers' is Hard Rock gold with Mondelli's voice soaring on the refrain, while 'Rise Up Together' is a slow mid-paced Melodic Rock gem. 'The Game' is the polar opposite with its galloping riff and 'Down To The River' is as classy a piece of song-writing as you are likely to hear. Despite the obvious influences, 'Rouge' remains accessible, listenable and even hummable.

It's one of the surprises of 2016* and already I'm pencilling it in as one of my Top Ten releases of this year.

Mike Newdeck

(* this review is from Fireworks Magazine #77)