7/10

Throughout these last few months, Italian artist Roberto has been quickly establishing a fresh and distinctive direction in which to call his own. Blending this heady mix of psychedelic aesthetics with a broad and sprawling post-rock-inspired direction, his tenure to date has been this wildly explorative one that has pushed the boundaries of his Echo Delay project as far as they will go. And after plenty of innovation and self-discovery under his belt, he now looks to introduce his new venture to the wider world with his vibrant debut album 'The Second Bardo', a collection that makes for an incredibly absorbing listen throughout.

Adding this mesmerising 12-string guitar and sitar sound to the breadth of his work, 'The Second Bardo' instantly develops this warm and kaleidoscopic sound that is difficult to find comparable. Taking cues from the stalwart entities of the psych-rock movement and injecting this wonderfully progressive approach to both its songwriting and production leaves this eight-track offering as a brilliantly distinctive and succinct listen. Whether it's the immersive tones of 'A Moment Of Joy' or the pulsing drive of 'Lost Door', Roberto looks to pack in as many varied textures as possible here.

While it may be his only piece of material to date, 'The Second Bardo' makes for brilliantly smooth and compelling listening. Creating these fresh and captivating tones as often as possible, Echo Delay are certainly a name we are going to need to pay attention to for the months ahead as well.