Paola Pellegrini Lexrock – Lady To Rock

By RingMaster Review on May 22, 2018 • ( 0 )

Professional criminal lawyer by day, devout rock guitarist/singer/songwriter by night, Paola Pellegrini is an Italian artist with numerous strings to her bow and a sound just as versatile. She plays rock ‘n’ roll, a collusion of hard rock, punk, and metal which as proven by new album Lady To Rock is very easy to raise a healthy appetite for.

Hailing from the city of Florence, Pellegrini has been playing and writing songs since a child. Having played with various bands she began her solo career as Paola Pellegrini Lexrock, releasing her debut album Agape in 2013. Two years its successor, Dreams Come True was unveiled through Qua’ rock Records. Lady To Rock is her new collection of songs; a release which maybe evades major surprises in some ways but embraces fresh adventure in far many more.

For Lady To Rock, Pellegrini linked up with bassist Franco Licausi, who played for 20 years with Negrita and currently with Litfiba, and drummer Simone Morettin of folk metallers Elvenking. Produced by Giuseppe Scarpato and Paolo Baglioni at Wall Up Studio in Florence and mixed and mastered by Giovanni Gasperini, the album roars into life with No Half Way. Instantly riffs and grooves surround ears, rhythms punchy company before the quickly engaging tones of Pellegrini step forward to complete a potent persuasion. A tenacious slice of heavy rock ‘n’ roll, familiar but infectiously magnetic, it provides Lady To Rock with a great start to.

It is a beginning though which is quickly built upon by the excellent Lovely Man. More restrained in its charge but even more enticing in its hooks and beats, the track strolls long like a blend of The Kut and Australian outfit Shadowqueen. Punk and hard rock are brought together in its virulently infectious temptation, a rousing concoction which easily had us bouncing, the following Avuta Mai matching its depth of persuasion. The only non-English sung track on the release, it is an inescapably catchy proposal unafraid to slip into sonic shimmers and unpredictable twists as raw riffs and melodic enterprise unite behind Pellegrini’s vocal prowess.

The catchy prowl of Cut The Chains similarly had ears and attention wrapped round inventive fingers, the song teasing with its confident swagger, seducing with its melodic and harmonic captivation before Endless Begin uncages Pellegrini’s punk heart with simultaneous energy and grace. We mentioned that across the album, uniqueness was second to familiar strains and aspects of rock but as this excellent track proves, songs still comes with an individuality and adventure which sets album and artist as one appetising proposal.

Through the raw rock hues of Wild Shot, a Plasmatics meets Girlschool spiced stomp, and the pop rock exploits of Making Love Forever, variety, enterprise and pleasure rise in tandem while What I Like sonically grumbles and melodically serenades with imagination fuelled contagion. As with all tracks, little time is needed for hips to swing and enjoyment to boil up; fun and anthemic persuasion in close quarters as echoed yet again within You Better Believe. It too had participation engaged within moments of its first play; a magnetic slice of rock ‘n’ roll very easy to be manipulated by.

The album concludes with All My Love Has Gone, a final cut of all that is good about the fiercely enjoyable Lady To Rock. As its companions, the song feels like a friend even before it runs through its first verse, even as soon as its first clutch of chords, yet is as tantalising and refreshing as any track on any rock album heard so far this year. At its core rock ‘n’ roll is about great times, boisterous fun, and arousing spirits something Paola Pellegrini proves very adept at creating with Lady To Rock.

Lady To Rock is out now via Red Cat Records / 7Hard across most digital stores.