UEICKAP – pronounced like „wake up“ (think of that!) - never heard? Neither have I. One of the first things you notice about this band from southern Italy is the good singer. No striking Italian accent at all, a stable, well-controlled voice with real engagement, power and finely nuanced; not even in the slow songs she is falling into an annoyingly whimpering mode. So, I quite like Irene Fraccavento's vocal performance, which is not a matter of course (for my part) when it comes to female vocals.
At some points in songs (Sometimes, Stereotype, You Against Yourself) she is applying a certain singing technique which is another mentionable feature that contributes to the really good overall impression of Stereotyped.
What does Stereotyped sound like? Most of the time it's heavy Rock music with a modern touch, and good instrumental performances, especially regarding the guitar work and bass parts.
A somewhat odd intro named Waterphonics introduces us to Stereotyped and leads straight to a catchy song named Stereotype, which keeps stuck in your ears for reasons of quality: it's not so much the easy melody but rather the interesting presentation (guitars, vocals, the bass is already playing a vital role, giving the song a certain something) of a basically simple song. The following song Noiselessness keeps up with the song before. A fluent melody line on the instrumental side as well as on the vocal side without sounding over-the-top. All instruments are well balanced, the song sounds just great, catchy again without being shallow. Thank You For Nothing however is indeed an average ballad without musical specialty, but the strong voice of Irene Fraccavento manages to save this track from being a totally insignificant matter. The piano sound in T.O.Y. gives the song a solid touch – a rock song. Turn It Up (Slip Away) is very groovy because the bass is again playing a leading role: Davide Santo shows his qualities as a bass player, keep on slapping! My Condition starts very dynamic and keeps up this flair throughout the song. A truly beautiful guitar solo adds much to this piece.
At some points on the album it seems UEICKAP are losing track a little bit, but maybe this is one more reason why Stereotyped leaves such a good impression in the end.
The last track is a real alternative version of Noiselessness, namely an acoustic one. UEICKAP put a totally different mood into the song, with many nicely short solo and interludes that build up an entirely different atmosphere and contains a way different timbre compared to its rock-twin.
This album is far beyond average. A proper production, good instrumental ideas, many „small things“ that make Stereotyped a very enjoyable album.