★★★★★

Italian rock band Måneskin exudes youthful exuberance in everything it does, showing off its members’ devil-may-care attitudes and runway-like fashion sense as they confidently sing about partying, drugs, sex and other topics that would give your grandmother a heart attack. At the same time, the band manages to not lose its soul, reflecting on the ups and downs of life through its new album, “RUSH!”

Released Jan. 20, 2023, Måneskin’s third album represents the band’s most iconic features: songs in both Italian and English, and an impressive musical range featuring powerful and moving ballads to wild rock ‘n’ roll classics. “RUSH!” shows off each band member’s individual strengths, from singer Damiano David’s iconic vocal timbre to guitarist Thomas Raggi’s epic solos. 

At first glance, “RUSH!” may seem like the band’s most chaotic album — after all, who puts a song about a has-been supermodel from the ’90s (“SUPERMODEL”) right before a touching song about all the things you would want to tell your loved ones if you were to die today (“THE LONELIEST”)? The seemingly haphazard order of the album does have a purpose, however, intentionally illustrating the wild journey that is life.

Måneskin touches on everything from desperately wanting to know your lover better in “OWN MY MIND” to being unable to live without love in “IF NOT FOR YOU,” exploring what it means to be in love throughout the album.

Though one may expect these love songs to be sappy ballads and pop songs, Måneskin pushes the envelope on what a love song is. Its members deftly escape the stereotypes associated with love songs, using their unique perspective as Italian artists to sing lyrics like “Only thing that keeps us apart / Is a different timezone / So fuck what I’m dreaming / This fame has no meaning / I’m coming home.” 

Even though they are well known for their rock ballads, they manage to bring a unique energy and beat to each ballad they write, making each song feel original and just as powerful as the last. 

“RUSH!” also includes “GOSSIP,” a song that features legendary guitarist Tom Morello from the anti-authoritarian, revolutionary alternative metal band Rage Against the Machine. “GOSSIP,” “GASOLINE” and “THE LONELIEST” all stand out in the generally wild album for their more serious topics: the fallacies of fame, revolution in a chaotic, war-torn world and death. 

Måneskin shows that they understand the complex situation the world is in, especially in light of the war in Ukraine, through “GASOLINE.” As Victoria De Angelis, the band’s bass guitarist, said about “GASOLINE” in an interview, “We just felt like we could do something to use our privilege and the people that look up to us to stand for what’s right, and make some people feel helped and understood.” 

Like many rock ‘n’ roll legends of the past, Måneskin shows that it has dimensions beyond its wild, youthful image, including a desire to promote real political and social change.

While many of the songs in the album touch on serious topics, Måneskin certainly knows how to have fun and add a whimsical twist to its work. “BLA BLA BLA” stands out, as it sounds more like an audiobook than classic rock ‘n’ roll — David speaks throughout the song, telling a story about a scorned lover as the beat slowly builds up through the song. 

While “BLA BLA BLA” breaks the traditional rock ‘n’ roll model, “KOOL KIDS” is an homage to rock and its fans. It acts as an anthem for alternative people who don’t fit in while adding a whimsical call-out of De Angelis’ phobia of vomit, showing that the young band is here to have fun and make good music. 

As fans of Måneskin know, its most popular songs tend to be the ones written in Italian. “RUSH!” features three Italian songs — “MARK CHAPMAN,” “LA FINE” and “IL DONO DELLA VITA.” These songs, like many of Måneskin’s Italian songs, feel very sincere, as the band sings about feeling trapped and desperate, yet hopeful. The brutal honesty and heart in these songs are apparent even to fans who don’t speak Italian.

Ultimately, Måneskin’s new album is a triumph of modern rock ‘n’ roll. Each song tells its own story, and the album as a whole is a tribute to rock ‘n’ roll, youth, and discovering life, love, hardships and triumphs. “RUSH!” is perhaps the most appropriate album to be produced by a band whose name means “moonlight” in Danish. After all, listening to the album feels like the rush of thoughts and memories that come over you as you lie in bed, under the moonlight.