Tigris & Euphrates

Two years after their acclaimed debut Tanzlinde, Italian sound adventurers Sherpa return with Tigris & Euphrates, demonstrating how far one album can be from another, even if they originate from the same place. While Tanzlinde thrived on short, melodically colorful pieces, Tigris & Euphrates is a conceptual work: dark, quiet, sometimes menacing, and as ambitious in its theme as its title. All six songs revolve around the evolution of human language through the ages and how communication has transformed relationships between people, for better or for worse.

Four of the six pieces stretch out to over seven minutes, taking all the time they need. Light and shadow alternate like in the chiaroscuro of the Renaissance: Cardone's bass alone has the power to stun, while gentle guitar lines and quiet vocal harmonies repeatedly brighten the gloom. The closer, "Descent Of Inanna To The Underworld," condenses all of this into one final grand arc before the album fades out with lingering sounds.

Tigris & Euphrates is Sherpa's most mature work to date. An album that barely reveals its strengths on the first listen, but all the more so on the second and third.

Sherpa are
Matteo Dossena – guitar, lyrics, composition
Franz Cardone – bass
Axel Di Lorenzo – guitar
Ivano Legnini – drums