Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

With a basis of retro punk and synth rock, alongside some prog rock style vocals, it is hard to know exactly how to describe the genre of this Italian-based group led by guitarist/songwriter Rob Falsetti and songwriter/keyboard player Ana Vukovojac. They describe themselves as "psychedelic/powerpop/indie", which doesn't shed a lot of light, so it is perhaps easier to start with "the concept". Setting the story of Jesus in modern times, with the central figures of 'The Reporter' and 'TV Announcer' the whole "Story of J.C." of which this is the first part sees the cynical reporter drawn towards faith by experiencing the events of Jesus' life - with 'The Angels' on hand as the chorus to tell us about the events which the media miss. It's a bold concept, drawing almost exclusively on Biblical material and keen to share the Gospel in music and song. The idea of Rock Opera, say the band, is to tell a story with music - and a wide variety of musical styles are included. Rocky in places, with flashes of swirly keyboard sounds, guitar is often dominant, with strong bass riffs too. The vocals are heavily accented English, heavy drum beats back up much of the music, and this first 'Suite' of six songs certainly packs a punch. Highlights are the Zappa-esqe second track "Someone" and the last track "The Meal" which has a definite Sparks feel to it. Worth a listen and here's hoping the whole Story Of JC rock opera gets staged soon.

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