Deze informatieve PR-tekst schreef ik op verzoek van de Utrechtse band VALENTINO. Briefing: beschrijf het nieuwe album op een enthousiasmerende, inhoudelijke manier, om internationale bookers een goed beeld te geven van waar ze naar gaan luisteren. Gebruik daarbij de taal en toon van de muziekindustrie.
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‘SALE’ BY VALENTINO.: A TURNING POINT ON MANY LEVELS
“And I’ll fall and wake up like a man.”
It’s a line from the chorus of ‘Wake Up Like A Man’ – but it might as well be the motto for VALENTINO.’s entire new album, ‘SALE’. The Utrecht-based band, founded and fronted by Stijn Valentijn Grul, is back with a record that shows remarkable growth, both on a personal and artistic
level.
Saying the band is ‘back’ requires a little explanation. ‘SALE’ is VALENTINO.’s debut album, but they have released several singles and two EPs since Grul started the band in 2018. In fact, VALENTINO. was enjoying quite the meteoric rise, touring internationally with Steve Rothery (Marillion), just before the pandemic hit. ‘SALE’ proves that the forced hiatus was a necessary evil. In the absence of the compelling narrative of success, Grul was forced to confront demons that had
always been lurking beneath the surface. The resulting album reveals an artistic maturity and scope that is well worth exploring. Forget necessary evil – this hiatus was clearly a blessing in disguise.
Says Grul: “It might sound bizarre, but I needed everything to fall apart.” In the resulting silence, he got a chance to explore some deeply personal issues, ranging from toxic family and relationship dynamics, to grief and substance abuse. The resulting tracks reflect his open-ended process. “I
didn’t want to turn those experiences into well-rounded, shiny stories,” he says. “In my opinion, there’s way more beauty in showing people the raw, unedited versions.”
It makes the ironically titled ‘SALE’ a daring album. Each track is based in a complex emotional landscape, rather than one particular music genre. Take ‘Detach me’, in which a slowly derailing, Smiths-reminiscent piano and Lucas Houben’s guitar, echo a morose longing to be detached from a
situation that is too painful to endure. ‘I Thought It Would Never End’ is another prime example: a track about a departed family member which draws on a mixture of childlike wonder and adult sorrow, reflected in dark vocals and a chorus that intentionally verges on schmaltz with its horn
section. All ecclectic but deliberate choices, that draw you into the underlying emotions driving the music.
‘SALE”s rich musical landscape marks a turning point for VALENTINO. in more ways than one. For starters, the album reflects Grul’s personal growth: from a post-adolescent, self-destructive spiral, to a mature ability to process ambivalent emotions. Moreover, the self-assured way in which
he handles the resulting musical complexity, shows tremendous artistic integrity. ‘SALE’ wants anything but to sell you. Instead, the album invites you in, intimately sharing the messiness and raw beauty of life. It dares you to touch rock bottom, in order to make space for new growth. And
ironically, by doing so, it grabs you way more effectively than any shiny story could have done.
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