London-based pan-European act The Umlauts have returned with “Non è Ancora”, their first since their excellent debut EP. The new song was inspired by Italians punks CCCP Fedeli alla Linea’s song “Annarella”, as the band’s Maria Vittoria Faldini explains:
“I was staying with my sister during a lockdown summer in 2020. She was heartbroken at the time and had “Annarella” on repeat. As I sat next to her, day after day, I became absorbed by the track and its sorrow and as I travelled back to the UK, I kept its melody within me. Alf had just made what we call a sketch. To me, the violins immediately recalled Annarella’s lament. I felt like I could share Ferretti’s mourning and wanted to bring back to light an eternal piece of music, one which carries part of my own life and grief, one which remains engraved in the history of Italian Punk.”
While it might not sound punk in sonics, The Umlauts’ “Non è Ancora” certainly maintains the essence. It’s a lot less boisterous than what the act has done before, but maintains a buzzing synth core, around which they have wreathed mournful violin lines (provided by caroline‘s Magdalena McLean). Faldini’s stark vocals stand over this taut concoction, rolling and sneering in defiant Italian – “it’s not over yet”. We have no doubt.
Listen to “Non è Ancora” below or on your favoured streamer.
“Non è Ancora” is out on PRAH Recordings. You can find The Umlauts on Bandcamp, Twitter and Instagram.
They’re playing a bunch of festivals this summer too:
28th May – Wide Awake, London
16th June – MOT, London
15th July – Welcome to the Village, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
12-13th August – Sur le Lac, Switzerland
18th-21st August- Greenman, UK
26th August – Krankenhaus, Cumbria
28th August – This Must be the Place, Leeds
3rd September – End of the Road, UK
