Galliano Sommavilla – “One Song”
Galliano Sommavilla – “One Song” – Single Review
Where oh where has the wonderful man been all my life and how have I only been learning about the music Galliano Sommavilla has been making over these past couple months? You amazing people out there reading know I depend on you for this stuff right? When there’s a combination of art & music that I don’t know about already, you’re the ones that are supposed to be flogging me down until I pay some damn attention! I hate to say it, but I kinda have to hold you all collectively responsible for keeping him from me for all this time…I have yet to have a single less than stellar experience with Galliano’s music.
If you have read the most recent reviews on his music, you’ve already gotten familiarized with his ambitious attitude towards creativity, his beyond-impressive dedication to the craft, and of course, the stunning talent he puts into what seems to be every single song he’s recorded out there…or at least that’s what I’ve been picking up personally as I’ve been listening so far. And let’s not forget that, yes, indeed, this is the same magnificent man that challenged himself to write, play, record, and release a brand-new tune for an astonishing 365 days straight, which he then went on to put out in the form of several albums to document the entire adventure. Even writing that down here now…which is likely the second or third time I’ve already mentioned this to make sure I get everyone on the same page and understanding the massive scope of Sommavilla’s musical universe…but even now, that accomplishment still jumps off the page as remarkable, which of course, an achievement of that magnitude certainly IS. Then you start listening, and you realize that Galliano possesses an internal wealth of ideas that never seems to run out…and that each time he’s ready to record, he brings something brilliantly new to your ears. There’s melody…there’s passion…there’s talent for sure…but what you’re hearing the most, is actually inspiration at full-bloom…that’s where the real magic of Galliano Sommavilla’s music takes hold.
I had to shake my head a bit in listening to this cut called “One Song” and learning about it. Not because of anything he did – I was actually shaking my head in disbelief that I had been so extremely foolish. Here I was before not too long ago, just another average everyday normal guy, listening to the music I knew of by Galliano, and assuming that, taking on the extraordinary challenge of creating a song a day for an entire year would have been…hmmm…enough for him somehow? I mean, let’s be completely real here – when you do the math, it’s not hard to realize that within a single year’s time, Galliano released more music than most bands you know of made in their entire career; I wasn’t expecting him to stop altogether obviously…but I don’t know that I expected he’d take on another monumental music & art challenge. And admittedly, with this dude, I SHOULD have assumed he’d have found his way to another amazing way to challenge himself as an artist…because that’s exactly what REAL artists DO. There’s no time to rest on the ol’ laurels folks…there’s only time to create & create some MORE – and I gotta say, if I had this guy’s natural talent, I’d be making music around the clock 24/7 just like he’s been doing. I’ll put it to you this way…I’ve heard some really great songs from Galliano so far…but what I heard him just pull off with “One Song” as I’ve been listening over this past week fully blew my mind.
For you see dear readers, dear friends…apparently Sommavilla is every bit as superhuman as we’ve proudly claimed him to be so far. You’d think an endeavor like 365 days of creating straight would almost tap the whole tank in any artist or band…but not this guy, no. Galliano went on to create five different cuts from January to May this year, all around forty-five minutes straight, calling them “One Song” due to the nature of how they’re recorded right there in the moment, without a single break. Yes you read that correctly…guided by his instincts alone, unrehearsed, Galliano fearlessly took on what would a mammoth challenge for anyone out there…sat down at his piano, and let the music simply flow out of him. Incidentally, I suppose I should note I’m reviewing the first of the set here…and it’s in listening to & absorbing the bold, brilliant, and beautiful entirety of this tune that you can hear every reason as to why he’d be so encouraged to have kept this project going long afterwards into the new “One Songs” that you’ll find in the set from 2020. This dude is made of the spirit of music I’m tellin’ ya.
Having grown up around piano my whole life with my father being a professional keyboard player/music teacher for as long as I’ve been alive…might give me a slight advantage in listening to a song such as this, that much I can concede. That being said…if you’re one of the few souls out there in the world that hears a piano and somehow gets turned off by it, I feel nothing but sorry for ya; it’s one of the world’s most spectacular purveyors of melodic awesomeness, which Galliano will prove that to you on “One Song.” For myself personally, it’s always had such a mesmerizing quality to it, which Sommavilla perfectly brings to light throughout the duration of this forty-two minute-long song of his…the acoustics of a piano and the fact that you can control its loud/quiet dynamics with the passion of technique with the understanding of what makes music connect to the hearts & minds of those who listen…I mean c’mon y’all, it’s an instrument that is pretty much second to none and always has been. Without a word, Galliano dazzles and charms us all throughout the exquisite composition he’s come up with on “One Song” and puts in a performance that should render you equally speechless in awe of what he’s accomplished. If I have but one regret in this lifetime, it’s the simple fact that there isn’t always time in a day to sit & listen to a forty-plus minute tune…but that’s on me; clearly my work/life balance is out of wack, or at least my priorities are. Because believe me when I say, every time I pushed play on “One Song” I sat completely captivated and spellbound by the melody pouring out from the speakers surrounding me. The passion in his playing and the endearing sound you’ll find at the core of this ambitious song soothes the soul in ways words could never explain…and for a song that’s longer than forty minutes, I can guarantee if you give it your full attention, you’ll feel like the whole afternoon has flown right by ya. And maybe it has! I’d put this song on repeat and find myself shifting from day to night without even realizing the sun had gone down or gotten up to get myself another cup of coffee.
Which…I mean, I’ll be honest with ya…that’s pretty much unheard of around here. Coffee is life.
The point I’m making is, once “One Song” begins, you truly won’t want it to end…but you won’t actually think about that either. It’s like you’re right there in the room with Sommavilla listening to him play a set graciously & gracefully for us all…and we’re right there in the moment with him. In an avant-garde or artistic setting, and one with such tangibly stunning melody for that matter…we never really know where Galliano will turn or transition to next – because ultimately, at the time, neither did he! Amazing how the brain works and the mind this guy has for music right? When you listen to the entire duration of “One Song” you can’t help but smile at how much music is inside of this guy, and how well our ears receive it when he lets it out into the world. “One Song” is gorgeous, full-stop – and if I wrote in some sort of coherent & concise manner, I’d just put that one sentence here in review and leave it at that.
But I don’t really, so here we are, heading on into the third page of a review for “One Song.” And here’s a sample for ya!
I can tell ya there might also be an additional advantage to his music to this time around that some of you out there will be well familiar with, which is that Galliano’s got this pitch-shifted to the peace-lovin’ frequency of 432hz. I am not going to lie to any of you out there and pretend that I’ve personally noticed that doing this makes all the difference in the world…it would be extremely hard for me to say that after having listened to so many amazing & incredible songs throughout my lifetime and in so many different styles – I’m far from any kind of accurate judge on whether or not this is the secret to making music that instantly connects to you dedicated listeners out there. All I can tell ya is what I like, why I like it, and what makes it connect to me – and “One Song” has just about all of the reasons I love music on display in one wonderful experience here. If that’s because of the whole 432hz thing, right on, I ain’t objecting and that’s super cool…but I think for the most part, I’m always going to argue on behalf of the artist, musicianship, and ideas being what really bonds us to what someone like Sommavilla is capable of & displays throughout “One Song.” No disrespect whatsoever towards you 432hz enthusiasts, you know I love you, just as much as everyone else out there though and I suppose that’s what I’m saying; to me, it’d be almost unfair to acknowledge the frequency’s innate ability to captivate listeners by default as opposed to recognizing & praising the purely audible awesomeness of the effort Galliano’s put in, you dig? So don’t go pitchforkin’ my lawn just yet 432hz’ers…I’m on your side and ultimately I’m sure it plays a role – I’m just advocating on behalf of the artist himself being what makes us WANT to listen.
It’s of course extremely hard to pick out this highlight moment & that highlight moment of a solitary composition that’s of a length as formidable as this melodic beast is packin’ – and if you were to ask me, that would never be the point to begin with. Much like Galliano, I’ve written this review largely by just going where his music takes me, allowing my thoughts to drift along with the melody and try to provide what little insight I’m capable of to ya in the process here. That’s when I can type mind you…there are so many times in writing about a song like this that I get lost within the spectacular beauty in what he’s playing and the way he’s playing it, that I can go for hours without writing a word, just sitting & listening. But there’s a reason it’s called “One Song” for him, and for us as well…and that’s because it’s meant to be experienced as a whole…you can’t legitimately dissect an artistically-inclined moment in time like this and break it down piece-by-piece. Well…you could…but you wouldn’t really be ‘getting it’ now would you? “One Song” was made to be listened to from beginning to end, without the needless distraction of the outside world bothering you in any way, shape, or form. Unplug the TV, throw away your phone, and just sit…and listen…and I can promise you, the creativity, passion, emotion, and beauty of “One Song” will blow your mind every bit as much as it did mine. As delicately as a mind can be blown of course, but you get what I mean…what Galliano has accomplished here is straight-up award worthy.
Have I got my favorite moments? Honestly, maybe? I really don’t think I do – I think I literally love every single second of “One Song” and there’s no way I can hide it from you all. I feel like I haven’t been so willing to sit and devote ALL of my attention to forty-plus minutes of music like I have been with “One Song” for an eternity…which perhaps speaks on behalf of what a breath of fresh air this single really brings out. It’s the sound of inspiration folks, as I’ve been tellin’ ya all along – you wouldn’t take on these giant artistic challenges & push yourself as hard as Galliano does as an artist if you didn’t have that genuine love of the craft required to pursue it and not have it end up feeling like work, or having us hear the effort itself. Sommavilla’s music on “One Song” sounds immaculately effortless in all the right ways – not to be mistaken for unskilled, he’s anything but that. Effortless in the sense that for forty-two minutes straight he will let the music flow fluidly from start to finish and have you instantly believing that he could have easily gone for forty-two more – that’s how right this moment in time truly feels.
If there’s something worth picking on, I’m not hearing it. Even if there was a mistake to be found, he’s recovered so quickly that no one out there would notice besides the artist himself. Personally, I wouldn’t take one second less of this song, and I wouldn’t change a single iota of how it’s been played. “One Song” possesses an organic magic that can’t be beat if you ask my ears…almost like witnessing one of the true wonders of the world up close, you really can’t help but marvel at how inviting, welcoming, and warm this gentle gem is in its entirety. Is there something the hardcore pianists out there would have beef with? I don’t know and I care even less…again, if there’s a note out of place here somewhere, I’m not hearing it; I didn’t feel like there was a single second so out of place anywhere in this massive tune that jolted me out of being locked onto Galliano’s every move. For being in the moment, “One Song” is so surprisingly well-played and the results are so remarkably perfect you’d easily assume he’s been jamming these forty-minute long songs for years and years before recording them. Sure, maybe there’s a piece here & there that he’s played part of in the past that comes into this composition here…but it’s in threading it all together into “One Song” in such an extraordinary & captivating way, that you realize Sommavilla likely only ever stops making music when he’s gotta pee or get that next cup of coffee…and you know we’ve got love for that.
I can’t say enough about this guy…Galliano Sommavilla gives music so much of his time, heart, and talent that anyone out there listening or reading about him will take notice without question. You don’t stumble across artists as dedicated & skilled & connected to their craft as this one is every day, that I can tell ya firsthand…and once you discover a Sommavilla out there in the world, you never wanna let’em go. It’s but for the mere fact that I’m always onto the next project that I’m finally pushing stop for now after spinning “One Song” for what seems like days on end, happily lost in the dreamy melody Galliano has created…rest assured I’ll be back for plenty more. Whenever I can find that spare forty-two minutes in my days coming up, I can’t imagine I’d find a better way to fill it than listening to Galliano Sommavilla.
Find out more about Galliano Sommavilla at his official homepage here: https://www.galliano.com.au
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