Soul Asylum: the wandering soul of alternative rock

THE Soul Asylum He had been missing from Italy for a long time, even since 1994 (when they had performed at the Rolling Stone in Milan …, a historic city of the city who is no longer there !!!). It is therefore a pleasure to find them in our country and resent their music whose production, between changes of training, mourning, group pauses and artistic/record/commercial revolutions, has continued, maintaining one’s style and their sound strength.
Certainly on a commercial level and visibility the glories of the past are far away but the music has remained over time to testify the integrity of the band, their history and the goodness of their music.Milan is the only stage in Italy but it is also the last of the European tour that saw the quartet engaged in the old continent from 25 January. The opportunity was the one to present the latest “Slowly But Shirley” album, published on September 27, 2024.

The concert is directed

Under the guidance of the founder (in 1981) and the only original element David PneneR (voice, guitar), the band staged an essential and visceral concert, with a ladder that presented the present but also inevitably looked at the past, retracing the many years of career and bringing back the hands of the time for one evening Back to get to the end of the 80s, immersing himself especially in the musical world of the 90s. An artistic reality that today struggles but that has marked the history of rock.
But in addition to time, Soul Asylums carry out spectators around style. The 21 songs in the lineup are in fact not stylistically monolithic but range between different genres, from the most traditional grunge rock, to touch the noise and also arrive up to moments of country rock. The glue of everything is the passion, energy, executive power and the sound/volume of guitars.

Successes and news

The beginning of the concert is entrusted to the new album, and then go immediately back in time by touching the “Miser” success of 1995 and return to today with “Trial by Fire” and shortly after with the stone of “freeloder”, with In the middle “Little Too Clean”, almost noise with a long solo and the theater on stage between the two guitarists.
The following triptych (“Never Really Been”, “Without a Trace” and “New World”, stuff between 85 and ’92) is a dive with a piece in country rock, with a dough between electric guitar It is acoustics that recalls a John Mellencamp, but more pissed off.
The sound power then returns with “New World” that leaves room for the last album with a powerful “High Road” which follows a handful of other songs from the album last year: “Sucker Maker” – interesting, very Spigolosa with Stop’n’go, “Freak accident” and the short and hard “if you want it back”.
To accompany towards the end you go to the past and it is the moment of the band’s hit ballad, the great success of 1993 “Runaway Train”, welcomed by the public with great affection. It is always a pleasure to hear it.
But the ballads still leave room for the roaring and noisy guitars with the last three tracks that move between the early 90s and early 1900s, with the versions of “Bittersweetheart” (the highest point of the concert) and “Just Like Anyone” who leave those present unpacked.
There is room for two encores with the final “April Fool” who gives the goodnight to the public and leaves the ears whistle.

For lovers of alternative rock

Soul Asylums will no longer be at the top of creativity but are convincing at a performative and historical level. To be enjoyed for all lovers of good healthy alternative rock, a piece of history that continues to have a present.
In conclusion we resume and confirm what he said in an interview with Rockol from David Pnener

We are working with a lot of exciting material. It’s fun to play, it’s powerful, noisy, fast and it’s a really varied set. We are gear: at the beginning of a tour they always take a few days to enter the right rhythm, so I think that when we arrive in Italy we will be well run. It is a four elements rock band and I just hope everyone has fun.

The presence of guitarist Ryan Smith, blonde, long hair that falls on the eyes, gold guitar and black and black horizontal stripes is striking on stage …. an impressive glance reminiscent of Kurt Cobain !!! Also for the way of moving on the stage.

the ladder

The Only Thing I’m missing
Somebody to shove
Made to be Broken
Misery
Trial by Fire
Little Too Clean
Freeloder
Never Really Been
Withut in Trace
New World
High Road
Sucker Maker
Freak accident
If you want it back
Black Gold
Runaway Train
Bus Named Desire
Bittersweetheart
Just Like Anyone

Encore:
String of pearls
April Fool