Austin TV - Fontana Bella (2007)

Austin TV's third time out with Fontana Bella is, in a variety of ways, very strange, and in just as many ways, quite wonderful. With everything from the disc's packaging to its musical thrust, Austin TV make clear that they play by a different set of rules. Striving to express a range of concepts and emotions without the assistance of lyrics, the music is instrumental from tracks one to nine. The band's not shy about using text, however. The disc comes with a storybook style booklet, the diary of Mario Lupo González Fábila, full of strange and fanciful entries adorned with equally fascinating and bizarre illustrations. The music holds artistic water and the attention of the listener better than the majority of releases with lyrics at their disposal. Though rock from start to finish, the musicians incorporate a wide array of textures and techniques to draw their audience in. The band manages to change time signatures, themes, and styles numerous times within a given track while maintaining a charmingly spare, stripped down aesthetic. The ambient qualities balance out the prog rock complexities. The end result is a surprisingly listenable, evocative project that is over before the listener is ready. Fontana Bella is an entirely unlikely delight.