New Candys

Hundreds of thousands of streams on the major platforms, the stamp of the prestigious London label Fuzz Club (alongside Dischi Sotterranei), and world tours stretching from Europe to Australia, passing through the United States—these are milestones the New Candys have earned one album at a time, honing their songwriting skills and reaching an ever-growing audience—mostly, for better or worse, abroad rather than in Italy.

“The Uncanny Extravaganza” brings the Venetians back to their favorite battlefield: a brand of psych-rock built on uptempo rhythms, where acid-fueled propulsion fuses with spot-on melodies. That’s the general tone of the album’s first half, with tracks like “Regicide,” “Crime Wave,” and the stunning “Night Surfer” showcasing the band’s ability to appeal to both alternative tastes and more mainstream ears. “Breathe Me In,” on the other hand, proves that the New Candys’ formula holds up even when the pace slows down, letting guitar arpeggios take center stage—evoking bands like Allah-Las—just as “You'll Never Know Yourself” subtly recalls The Black Angels.

That America is a key reference point for Fernando Nuti and his bandmates becomes even more evident in the second half of the album, which explores a wider range of sonic solutions. Still, there’s no lack of standouts like “Cagehead,” which shines like a black diamond. The mellow drift of “Aquawish” brings to mind the guitar meditations of Real Estate, while “Wild Spaghetti West” feels more like a nod to the Kasabian of fifteen years ago than to Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores. The lukewarm “Gill On My Lungs” gives way to “Final Mission,” which strips back its rhythm section to drift away on the wings of a newly serene psychedelia.

Direct heirs to a psych-rock tradition that has rarely flourished in Italy but has produced some outstanding acts (Julie’s Haircut being perhaps the most widely known), today the New Candys are the flagship name of a northeastern scene increasingly fertile with exciting psychedelic projects—just look at Mantua’s a/lpaca for further proof. Welcome back.

06/06/2025