It is very personal when an artist relies on music as a therapy and that is what Dale or Milan-based banker-turned-musician does with his first album Vertigo. The result of the highly stressful and self-aware time, this set of 80s inspired synth-pop songs is a record of one man attempting to learn about himself- and the kind of man he wants to become.
At the very first introduction, it is obvious that DALE has done his research. The entire production of Vertigo is smooth and professional, awash in glittering synths, sharp percussion, and warm basslines that give loving homage to the decade that influenced him. However, behind the nostalgic facade, there is something truly introspective, a commercial appeal and emotionally honest songwriting.
The tone is perfectly established in “Waves” with the help of real ocean sounds that help to set a story of being at the crossroads of life and being paralyzed because of the inability to stay safe and take everything. Moonlight takes a completely different tune and offers the raw of pure danceable energy with a powerful groove and an uplifting chorus-freedom and happiness condensed in three minutes of feel-good escape.
Illusion addresses the agonizing task of self-exploration, the fear of being a person you do not see when you look in the mirror. In the meantime, “Vortex” -possibly the most catchy point in the album- glorifies the joy of not being ashamed of love and its contemporary-retro harmony makes it unresistant at once.
What resonates with Vertigo is the fact that DALE is ready to be vulnerable and at the same time has made things sonically accessible. Every song symbolizes a new emotional gateway in his life, in overcoming perfectionism to finding authenticity. Being a first album that was written by a person trying to find his way through a psychological labyrinth, Vertigo sounds quite confident- nostalgic, yet not derivative, self-centered, yet not indulgent. It is substance-filled synth-pop.
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