The Second Grace

Though the Second Grace hail from Sicily, the band hardly draw from their native traditions on their self-titled debut, instead pulling from American, British, and even African influences in crafting their light, melody-driven pop songs. It's acoustic guitar — picked and strummed by singer and songwriter Fabrizio Cammarata — that's king here, with the remaining instruments (bass, percussion, electric guitar, keys, cello, etc) taking a distant second, mixed softly and often sitting out as Cammarata's tenor speaks sweetly of love and remembrance. The lyrics themselves are fairly straightforward, the focus more on the sentiment than on the language, but this works well with the simplicity of the chord arrangement. It's only when Cammarata tries too hard — either in flippancy or profundity — that the songs grow a little weary, like in "I'm Gonna Miss You" ("Might sound unexpected/Both freaky and plain") or "Like a Juliet" ("You, for real, my dear, you just can't set my rearview mirror, I fear"), but generally the singer has a nice way of keeping things warm and open, borrowing ideas from Jack Johnson and Paul Simon (specifically Graceland), never extending the pieces into a full-out jam but allowing the space for the slide guitar and bass to move around when necessary. Like Johnson, too, the Second Grace shy away from making profound statements, looking instead to express emotion — of love, self-doubt, longing, tenderness, affection — and to convey a mood, a lightness that still holds a touch of sadness, of the bittersweet, within it, like in "The Sand in My Eyes" or "Your Key," which starts off with minor, muted notes and hushed sighs before it picks up in pace and optimism. No, The Second Grace doesn't push many boundaries, but it's not trying to, either; rather, it aims to lull, to indulge in the sound of itself, in its breezy tunes of romance and idealism, and it is an understanding of this that allows an enjoyable listen.