Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Nimby – Avatar (2024)

While Nimby does not have much on streaming sites, the Italian group have been turning heads in the music industry for 15 years. The brainchild of singer-songwriters Tommaso La Vecchia and Aldo Ferrara, Nimby made their live debut in 2009 fusing elements of psychedelia, post-punk and garage rock with charismatic elegance and flair. From their 2013 album Not In My Back Yard to 2018’s Nimby II, Tommaso La Vecchia (vocals and synths), Aldo Ferrara (guitar), Giuseppe Lent (bass) and Vins Perri (drums) have featured on numerous publications, radio stations and playlists. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘Avatar’.

Following the well-received album Nimby II, ‘Avatar’ is a return of the Italian lads to studio-recorded releases. Composed, arranged and produced by La Vecchia and Ferrara, ‘Avatar’ leans toward pop-rock and indie-rock of the 1990s and 2000s breathing life into nostalgic whispers of yesteryear. Yet, while a strong link to retro rock exists, Nimby add a contemporary edginess transcending generational genres with the silvery thread of good music.

With bold guitars, crashing drums and La Vecchia’s rich vocals, ‘Avatar’ has a rock-influenced forcefulness tossing you into a tumultuous sonic whirlpool. Kaleidoscopic and chaotic but with sophisticated intricacy, Nimby’s arrangement immerses you in a clashing riot while retaining a soothing symphonic harmony. Just as the melody is fascinating, it is the poetic lyricism that adds profoundness to ‘Avatar’. I find this interesting as the old-school sound pays tribute to a modern-day theme. Nimby explains:

“’Avatar’ is a magnifying glass on the great contradiction that social media represents, potentially a beautiful journey but which in reality is full of ostentation and negativity. A glimpse of our lives made transparent by the social showcase in which we have to always appear happy… It delves into the digital social world portraying it as a virtual shamanic ritual that tends to hypnotise our minds, reducing what we experience as if we were constantly in front of a magical mirror and spreading collective hatred and contempt toward ourselves…”


In addition to the single, Nimby released an official music video for ‘Avatar’. The video can be viewed below or on their YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.


THIS VIDEO USES LIGHTING EFFECTS THAT CAN TRIGGER SEIZURES IN PEOPLE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Find out more about Nimby on their Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator


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