It is something deeply touching to have artists who are not afraid to dig deep into the very depths of human experience, and Mardi Gras has done precisely that with Sandcastle. This Rome-based outfit have produced more than an album, they have produced a haunting meditation on trauma, power and the terrible cost of survival which will be with you long after the last note fades.
The ideological approach that traces the tragic path of orphaned brothers and sisters Cecilia and Nicholas in the 1980s New Jersey, gives the emotional core to what could be the most dramatic work so far put together by Mardi Gras. Their talent to interlace protest, poetry and prayer into musical narratives that are perfectly coherent has never been so necessary and so urgent. Individual statement and part of a bigger, devastating puzzle, each track serves as both.
The story is supported by the emotional intelligence of the vocals of Liina Raatsep, who easily changes between vulnerability and strength, depending on the needs of the story. The instrumental settings, which are led by the atmospheric guitar work of Fabrizio Fontanelli and the atmospheric keyboards of Alessandro Matilli, generate soundscapes that are intimate yet cinematic. The Irish folk elements bring a delightful touch of the unexpected, and the more alt-rock then-darker side of the album rings with the authenticity of pain.
What impresses me the most is that Sandcastle does not provide simple solutions and false consolation. The band addresses the subject of abuse, corruption, and vengeance in an uncompromising fashion, but is able to find pieces of beauty in the rubble. Songs such as The Dance Of The Sand represent this style well- they start off in a melancholic introspective place, then gradually rise to a passionate catharsis that is both heartbreaking and vital.
It is an ambitious, fearless songwriting that puts trust in the listeners to cover tricky emotional grounds. Mardi Gras has developed something truly revolutionary a work that not only has a story to tell, but one that challenges us to look at our own darkness and redemption.
