Stella Diana – Alhena

Dreamy Italian Shoegaze That Easily Envelopes

When one thinks of Italy, the mind most likely conjures visions of joyously happy people, slanted, phallic monuments and expertly cobbled shoes. (And Fiats). Not surprisingly, shoegaze usually clocks in near the bottom of that list, though Italian outfit Stella Diana (Dario Torre, Giacomo Salzano, Roberto Amato, Raffaele Bocchetti and Davide Fusco) have been working to change that. A misty outfit born in ’98 that blends dream-pop, new wave and post-punk, Stella Diana came to light as one of the superior shoegaze bands in Italy through a slow burn of textured and compelling efforts. Combining rock and roll underpinnings with complex arrangements, Stella Diana creates harmony between dream-pop and alternative, a move that sets them apart from the other shoegaze outfits roaming the Italian countryside.

After releasing the acclaimed 41 61 93 in 2014, the band was signed to UK label Raphalite Records to deliver the forthcoming 5 track Alhena EP, mixed and mastered by Marc Joy of Lights That Change and Alexander Kretov of Ummagma. October saw the release of first single “Shohet,” an animated track that bewitches and transports, a solid inkling of what’s to continue through the rest of Alhena. Combining strong, distorted walls of guitar layered over brazen percussion (most evident in track “Mira”), with clear vocals delivered with punch in Italian, Alhena is a clean conglomerate that could easily be mistaken for a rock album, if not for the blissful atmosphere it creates. In a nice touch, the EP ends with a cover of Kula Shaker’s “Govinda,” which makes the jump from psychedelia to dream-pop gorgeously.

Listening to Alhena is like being in a layered, gauzy dream that deftly avoids one of the genres most dangerous pitfalls – becoming redundant in lieu of creating a rich and involved ambiance. One of the main problems with Alhena just might be that it’s too short.