The first time I heard a Måneskin song, which was “Beggin’,” I scoffed. While this was, in part, due to the fact that it was on my dad’s dreaded “New Music Friday” playlist, I was taken aback and surprise when the song played. However, by the second listen, I was hooked. I distinctly remember saying, “wait, why do I actually like this?”

Soon enough, “Beggin'” became one of my favorite songs on the radio. On the other hand, I had yet to look into other content by the creators known as Måneskin. After finding out the band’s name is pronounced as “moan-ah-skin” and that they had recently released a new album, I decided to give their new release, RUSH!, a listen.

The first song, “OWN MY MIND,” was an uneventful start. Undoubtedly, it was a solid song; the vocals were supreme as I expected. The whole song was steady with a retro feel to it, and, in truth, there wasn’t too much going on. It was a very middle-of-the-road track, but not bad by any means. All in all, “OWN MY MIND” was your average high-quality alternative track.

Fortunately, the next song definitely picked up the pace and originality. “GOSSIP,” like its name, was quick and frantic, but in the best way possible. It was original and unique, with the guitar riffs beating out even the vocals. It was certainly a step up from “OWN MY MIND,” but both were valuable pieces.

On the other hand, “BLA BLA BLA” was possibly the worst of the bunch. The beginning was nearly unbearable, and I was tempted to reach for the button to turn it off. I stuck with it just long enough for the song to break into a more tolerable beat, and it switched to an angrier and much more listenable tone. 

“BABY SAID” followed suit by starting off poorly. While it wasn’t causing my ears to bleed, “BABY SAID” reminded me of the music of the early 2010s, which happens to be one of my least favorite eras of music. However, it was a well-crafted song, and it was appropriately broken up when it needed to be. It had grown on me by the end of the song, and overall, it wasn’t a bad tune by any means.

However, the album had more than cloudy skies: it had lightning, coming in the form of “GASOLINE.” As explosive as its title, the song embraces the rock side of Måneskin. It was much more intense and dark than the other songs in the album, which was refreshing more than anything else. More so than the others, this song had a little something extra that pushed it over the edge of normality.

On a different note, and even a different key, “FEEL” was only minor in its tune. It was an excellent wrap-up of the entirety of RUSH! by combining the stunning voice of lead singer Damiano David with a classic sound that matches that of the other songs. The pacing was unmatched; it resisted being too slow while assuring the listener that it wouldn’t just fly past.

RUSH! was quite different from what I predicted the album would be like due to my limited prior listening to Måneskin; nonetheless, it was an enjoyable album with several stand-out songs. None of them were overly wild, which was minorly disappointing, but nothing about the album made it of poor quality. Måneskin has established themselves as a powerful and capable band.