Insout: Acoustic Privacy

Take an ophthalmologist called Claudio Allia. Team him with a sound engineer who goes by the name of Riccardo Samperi. Add some red wine and zen. The setup is complete for the duo (of men) who go as Insout to compose and record, starting with their first effort, Trikke & Trakke.

On their second recording, the atmosphere is relaxed in its overall ambit as they sail in the climes of smooth jazz. Yet they don't just coast along—they add enough pith and bite to ruffle the waters and give the music an appealing depth through evocative melodies that they then take on an enticing enough journey. Allia has a soft gentle touch on the piano, a modulation that serves the songs well as he does on "Coelacanthus," the wisp of a melody floating in before it gets a firmer shape and draws in a quintet of strings; they snuggle in and take the tune into New Age territory, with the acoustic guitar of Samperi completing the pastel-hued picture.

There is a nice cutting edge to "Bubble Tea," Alberto Amato whipping in a curling bass line, Allia swaying and cutting swaths on the alto saxophone, Paul Wertico ticking the rhythm, his drumming spare but effective, and Samperi swinging with juicy notes. A different adjunct emerges in the darker ambience of "Expensive Mood" with overdubbed guitars, the lonely cry of the alto saxophone, and the soft vocals of Gabriella Grasso. Yet here is no getting away from its impact, which can also be said about the album as a whole.

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