Terzo

Album review

While it’s easy to focus on Mike Watt’s profoundly influential albums with the Minutemen and fIREHOSE, and the related heavy rock projects that have followed, his musical output has also consistently included surprising twists. In 1989, he and Minutemen drummer George Hurley formed the trio Bootstrappers with guitarist Elliott Sharp to release an eponymous album. This marked Watt’s first collaboration, of many, with musicians well-known for synthesizing punk and rock influences with avant-garde explorations. In the decades since, Watt has continued to work with prominent genre-crossing artists. The groups Big Walnuts Yonder and Floored by Four both pair him with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, plus notable muscians like Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier and Cibo Matto keyboardist / vocalist Yuka Honda. Houston Saturday documents the concert where Watt accompanied reclusive songwriter Jandek.

While most of these ventures have resulted in isolated projects, Il Sogno Del Marinaio, Watt’s trio with Italian experimentalists, has grown into a working group with its third release Terzo.  Il Sogno Del Marinaio’s other consistent member, Stefano Pilia, began releasing timbral explorations with electric guitars in 2003, on respected labels like Time-Lag, Sedimental, Sloow Tapes, and Last Visible Dog.

2010’s Onrushing Cloud with David Grubbs, whose own diverse background ranges from Squirrel Bait to Gastr Del Sol, also included Il Sogno Del Marinaio’s original drummer Andrea Belfi. The album consistently incorporates elements of rock music, from melodic guitars to vocals, that Pilia’s earlier work rarely referenced. Three years later on Il Sogno Del Marianio’s debut, La Busta Gialla, Pilia and original drummer Andrea Belfi moved further toward rock conventions, with Watt’s driving and repetitive basslines often providing a foundation for this development. Belfi departed soon after 2015’s follow-up Canto Secondo, and the group appeared finished.

With new drummer Paolo Mongardi, Watt and Pilia have now restarted Il Sogno Del Marinaio. Mongardi’s background in open-ended psychedelic rock immediately feels like a natural match for the trio’s existing sound. The eight tracks on Terzo retain the group’s impressive diversity. “21st Marinaio Dream” juxtaposes spoken, rhythmic lyrics with a dramatic build in volume. “None Dare Call It Conspiracy” breaks down to the album’s gentlest section, with layered trumpets by guest Ramon Moro. Opener “Song for Anima Mundi” spotlights Watt’s growling voice over a propulsive rhythm.

While Mike Watt’s name draws attention, the group is clearly collaborative and leaderless, and Terzo evolves in directions far from Watt’s best-known bands. © Steve Silverstein/Qobuz