Måneskin: RUSH! (LP)

The album title "RUSH!" represents the sense of urgency that has accompanied Måneskin over the past 12 months: Necessity, effort, discipline, concentration, density and intensity. "RUSH!" is the tingling high of always living a little on the edge with the fear of falling. Choosing to live this way involves both the positive, but also the dangers and sacrifices one must make. Unlike their last two studio albums (the debut "Il Ballo Della Vita" (2018) and "Teatro D'Ira - Vol. I" (2021), Måneskin didn't let their commonalities guide them on "RUSH!" but instead focused on what makes the band's four distinct personalities tick. Despite the broad sound palette of the 17 tracks on "RUSH!", Måneskin have managed to maintain their identity as a band - even when they wander back and forth between genres (from the punk frenzy of "Kool Kids" to the power ballads of the worldwide smash singles "The Loneliest" or "Timezone" to the rock'n'roll swagger of "Supermodel" or, of course, "Mammamia") - the unique sound that has shaped the band runs like a thread through the album and is clearly recognizable. All tracks are raw, emotional and as far as the sound is concerned brutally open and honest. To understand "RUSH!", it is best to imagine a room where the four members are in opposite corners - the album is the central point where the visions of the four and their common understanding come together. If you take a look at the lyrics, it quickly becomes clear that this is a very personal record that tells of a journey of self-discovery. If Måneskin's lyrics of their earlier albums followed more the tenor - "I go headlong into the world, I take my place and show who I am", now the focus has shifted. The fact that they had to give up so much - relationships, family, friends, their private life - has inevitably led to the fact that now the personal experiences are in the foreground - the personal feeling of what is happening and the view is turned inward. The lyrics of the new album are the result and expression of the growth and development of the band - both in human terms, but also in artistic and musical terms. It is the result of a maturation that has produced the courage to finally show the world their true selves and tell their own story.