Stella,
Uzeda's return from a hiatus that began after the tour supporting 1998's
Different Section Wires, serves up more of the band's arty, ugly-beautiful noise rock. In some ways, it sounds like almost no time has passed in
Uzeda's world since the release of their last album. They're still remarkably adept at switching from sharp and spiky to thick and sludgy -- and back again -- within their songs. They've also reunited with longtime producer
Steve Albini, who follows the band's lead ably throughout
Stella (
Albini fans will especially like the roomy drums on "This Heat"), and their greatest strength is still Giovanna Cacciola's compelling voice: On tracks like "What I Meant When I Called Your Name" and the aptly named "Wailing," her whispers and bellows cut through the churning noise of her bandmates effortlessly. However, during
Uzeda's eight-year break, Cacciola and drummer Agostino Tilotta played with
Bellini, and some of that band's more nuanced, expansive approach seems to have rubbed off on
Stella. "Steam, Rain & Other Stuff"'s hypnotic restraint and sudden dynamic shifts reflect the greater ebb and flow
Uzeda uses on this album. Sometimes, as on the anguished but meandering "Time Below Zero," the band's energy feels a little scattershot, but "Camilo" and "From the Book of Skies" show how formidable (and even catchy)
Uzeda can be when their power is focused. By the time "Gold" brings
Stella to a furious close, it's clear that neither the nearly 20 years since
Uzeda formed, nor their lengthy time apart, has blunted their edge any. ~ Heather Phares