Album Review: Måneskin – Rush!
2 min read
It’s well known that the Italian rock band Måneskin became international superstars overnight with their unforgettable Eurovision victory in 2021, although some hardcore fans may remember them from the Italian X Factor before this. Since then the band’s stardom has only grown, finding success with their popular song I Wanna Be Your Slave, collaborating with Iggy Pop and even supporting The Rolling Stones.
Now Måneskin are back in 2023 with their third album release RUSH!, a seventeen track record that sees the band’s frontman Damiano David sing predominantly in English for their debut international album. Of course there are Italian exceptions staying true to their authentic self such as the aggressive Italo rap-rock of La fine. Måneskin has raised the bar on Rush! with their super star collaborations from pop producer Max Martin (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd) and guitar cameo from Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) on Gossip.
Rush! opens with Own My Mind, an upbeat track bursting with powerful guitar and drum melodies, the pop-rock standard for the rest of the album. Gasoline is nearly four minutes of intense hardcore emotional beats, and Kool Kids showcases the band’s versatility as they switch to punk and feature a mock British accent. It seems no genre or theme is too outlandish for Måneskin, and the band’s playful side can be seen through their use of outrageous lyrics such as ‘cocaine on the table’ on Feel and ‘I called your best friend and I said wassup / Let’s fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck’ on Bla Bla Bla.
Of course it wouldn’t be a rock album without a power ballad and If Not For You provides this. The slow-paced track features Damiano’s raw and emotional vocals as he sings to a slow-paced, dreamy backing guitar about how terrible his life would be without his lover. However the track is not going to be hung up in the power ballad hall of fame alongside November Rain (Guns N’ Roses) or Wild Horses (The Rolling Stones).
Måneskin are the 21st century’s answer to Rock and are hard not to love. What makes Rush! so enjoyable is that the band are not afraid to experiment with their sound, but most importantly you can tell they are having fun with it. Måneskin are doing a good job of putting Italy on the map for Rock and are only going to get bigger and better in the years to come.
