From the good ship Dirty Beach (home to 23 and Beyond the Infinite, Unruly Girls, Atto Seguente and others) comes Healthy God, a largely one man operation, that man being Daniele Amoresano. I'm fairly certain the project started around the early 2010's with 2012's Screw You All, I'm Healthy God marking their full-length(?) debut followed by a 2014 cover of Sparklehorse's 'Saint Mary', and then seemingly nothing...until now.
Amoresano spent a number of years between London and Milan which may explain a decade long absence from music, though this is mere conjecture on my part. He now lives in Southern Italy which from what I've learnt from the Lonely Planet guide represents “the country at its most ancient, soulful and sensual”. This aligns with the promotional blurb where we are told that Healthy God “inhabits a cold rusty abandoned universe where ancient trees and decadent buildings merrily coexist” and the postcard style beauty of the album's artwork further reinforces this concept. As a result I can't help but be intrigued as to how the record will pan out.
'Eternal Internal Fight' has a drumbeat reminiscent of 'Just Like Honey' by the Jesus and Mary Chain, while the lush synths and yearning Vocals bring to mind 1980's New Wave ala The Chameleons and The Psychedelic Furs. Despite these seemingly retro influences, the music doesn't feel like a stale pastiche but instead fresh and contemporary. Quite a feat and a hell of a way to open the album. 'Can't Go On, Can't Let Go' reminds one of driving Indie outfits such as The Editors and Interpol with some U2 thrown into the mix. I'll admit that its not my favourite combination of sounds and would usually have me running for the hills, but in Healthy God's hands it feels more sincere and lacking in hipster pretensions. 'White Hills' is tasty, reminding me of the finest that Gothic-Rock and Proto-Industrial music in the early 80s had to offer with bands such as Factrix as well as Electropunkers The Screamers and Nervous Gender. A certified favourite.
'The Dance' recalls the experimental eccentricity of Deerhoof and Liars, Indie bands who at the very least try to bring something new to the table instead of mining the same old tired territory (The Smiths, Joy Division etc) while 'Catholic Guilt' is a moody rather splendid number that evokes Suicide and that band's classic 'Ghost Rider', messers Vega and Rev would be proud. 'This Is Not A Game' again is imbued with the sprit of classic New Wave, as such, its hard not to envisage A Flock of Seagulls and tracks such as Space Age Love Song'. It feels like a love song tonally which as someone with a fondness for that era of music is more than fine by me. 'All These Sufferings Must Lead Somewhere' is psychedelic in spots in the vein of The Flaming Lips from around the time of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, particularly 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1' (before the unbearable wackiness of the Pink Floyd and Beatles tribute albums). Nods to Silver Apples are also notable, a band who don't receive anywhere near the adulation and attention they deserve. This recognition of such important pioneers feels like the perfect note on which to conclude the album.
This is a catchy earworm of a record packed with nostalgia yet one which feels stunningly original and heartwarming at the same time. Thanks must be extended as well to Gianluca of Dirty Beach for sending out the promo in the first place. Grazie amico mio!
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