By Keith Walsh
Flipping the script by turning disappointment into passion, Italy’s Onceweresixty are set to release their new double EP Loco Sunset Blvd/Ghetto Blast Noise Machine.

Using electric guitar textures interlaced with subdued keyboards, the trio of Marco Lorenzoni, Luca Sella and Enrico Grando launched Onceweresixty in 2018. Their brand of melancholic pop sheds light on the human condition, mixing realism with hope and introspection. Featuring 8 tracks, Loco Sunset Blvd/Ghetto Blast Noise Machine was recorded at Villa Albrizzi Marini, a property owned by the Armenian Church in the Venetian countryside.

With smart English lyrics and messages about growing up (“Weird Times), about the business of psychiatry (“Pills), about impermanence (“All That Glitter), wrapped in jangly, downbeat rock, Loco Sunset Blvd/Ghetto Blast Noise Machine is a sweetly endearing album. Some points of reference are Sonic Youth, Sparklehorse, Dinosaur Jr., Galaxie 500 and REM. Lorenzoni plays guitars, keys with vocals, Sella plays drums, guitars and vocals, and Grando contributes keyboards and saxophone. Lorenzoni and Sella have played together since 2001 with their project M60, and their solidarity is reflected on the tightness of the performances. Grando joined in 2019 and his textures are an important factor in the mix.

Loco Sunset Blvd/Ghetto Blast Noise Machine is available for preorder now, with the singles “Don’t Get Stuck” and “Pills” streaming now on Bandcamp, and the major streamers. “Don’t Get Stuck” is sweet and hopeful, while “Pills” starts out with insinuating electronics only to explode into blazing guitar rock. Stay tuned for more about Onceweresixty, on the Ugly Dogs record label.

‘Pills’ On Spotify
‘Loco Sunset Blvd/Ghetto Blast Noise Machine’ On Bandcamp
Ugly Dogs

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