They say the best rock and roll music was written when the creator was high on some illegal substance. Alice Cooper and Keith Richard could certainly credit being intoxicated, as the means to writing some of their most popular songs. This album was written during lockdown and although Alex Bowmer was probably not high during this time, his writing reflects influential passages of his life, bad acid trips being one and working for a Witch another. The title of the band ‘Della Nova’ comes from the secret order Alex worked for in 2019 ‘The Ordine Della Nova’ and I refer to acid taking because this album is innovative, deeply experimental and yes, one hell of a trip !
The first single ‘Wachasay’ is fairly sedate to begin with, there’s low bass by ‘Joe Chauncy’, Alex’s grungy vocals and I love the echoing. It’s a bit like ‘Burning Tree’ if you remember them. Bluesy and sultry rock with heavy guitar bursts, as Alex plays an 8 string to reach the most tantalising chords. He can write evocative lyrics as well, ‘You’re missing the sunlight in your eyes, there’s gotta be some left in your mind, you’re missing the sunlight in your eyes, And I’m Just breaking it down for you’. A seductive opener and ‘You Know’ is the moody grind that follows. Slow moving with a wide range of vocals and a deadbeat rhythm, it’s plaintive and wretched, which makes it so engrossing. A delicate moment next as ‘We Need A Way Out’, is an instrumental interlude. However, ‘Stand Up’ has banging drums and aggression spurts during the vocals. This is about getting any frustration out in the open and the track is alarmingly attractive. More guitar hits and there’s a calmer middle eight that counterweights, before it drives to an intriguing finish. If you want a self explanatory title then I suppose ‘Peanut Butter Breath’ is a decent example, it’s another short break of ‘crunching’ guitar heaven before the amazing ‘Gimme Love’. This has a flowing melody, soulful lyrics and destructive guitar. The music soars and increases with clarity and those last few moments are extraordinary, as all hell breaks loose. Watch the music video that also features Chérie Farr and some colourful disguises. ( Youtube link below)
We hear a rather graceful intro for ‘On The Blue’. Alex has written a ballad and it’s simply adorable. You can’t help but admire this guys songwriting and his imagination is truly inspiring. A drum break as ‘Erica’ is a brief passage on skins and I like how these short instrumental tracks break up the album. A ‘Prog’ technique that’s not usually included on rock albums these days. Then again ‘Rise With The Wind’ is so off the wall, with sumptuous bass and lush chord ripping, ‘Della Nova’ can feel at home in a dozen or more pigeon holes. At nearly five minutes long ‘Astral’ has grandeur and a feeling of positivity, it’s delightfully symphonic and stirs optimism. The finale ‘Welcome Home’ is an atmospheric entanglement that allows your mind to wander, absolutely breathtaking.
This London based trio have released a debut album that goes further and further into hallucinating scenarios, as it meanders through the eleven tracks. Divinely engaging, we are transported into another realm, the realm of Alex Bowmer’s mind during confinement and it’s captivating. From the love of alternative rock, stoner and post grunge, he has spawned an original take on recording rock, I mean when did you last hear a whole drum solo track like ‘Erica’, on a studio album ? With groove, stoner and wailing enchantment, it’s unrivalled wizardry.
Purchase ‘Della Nova’ from the bands socials, watch their videos and see them live when gigs are announced.
If you are in the London area on Dec 12th , the Album launch show is at The New River Studios , see poster at foot of page.
“The songs on this album are a snapshot of my tumultuous life over the last few years, and it’s as DIY as it gets. During lockdown I had no money for studio time, so I did everything myself in my studio that I lived in, in this church/ warehouse in Tottenham – other than the drums, we did them where Karl used to study at LCCM. So yeah, this album represents a pretty crazy period of my life, we were locked down with about 30 other creatives so we would just party all time.” – Alex Bowmer
‘With groove, stoner and wailing enchantment, it’s unrivalled wizardry’
HIGHLIGHTS – Wachasay, You Know, Gimme Love, Astral, Welcome Home.
Album Tracklist:
1. Wachasay
2. You Know
3. We Need A Way Out
4. Stand Up
5. Peanut Butter Breath
6. Gimme Love
7. On The Blue
8. Erica
9. Rise With The Wind
10. Astral
11. Welcome Home
Della Nova was Produced by Alex Bowmer and Ben Jeffes and recorded in Alex’s converted Church-Warehouse home.
DELLA NOVA are –
Alex Bowmer: Vocals & guitar, songwriter
Joe Chauncy: Bass guitar
Adam Szabo: Drums
Ex-drummer and cousin to Alex, Karl Hall, also features on the album’s recordings.
Connect with DELLA NOVA:
YouTube – HERE
Official website: www.dellanovaband.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dellanovaofficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dellanovaofficial
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@dellanovaofficial
Thanks to Rob at STAMPEDE PRESS
For Fans Of: Royal Blood, Alice In Chains, QOTSA, Deftones.
