Whoever passes through Alcobaça never does so without returning. Unless they’re from there already, and know that beyond the devotion to the art of convent sweets, there also endures a veneration for another, less ancient art: rock ’n’ roll. That was more or less the case with Mr. Gallini, born in Pisões, to whom his parents gave the name Bruno Monteiro. He started his rock life as the drummer for fellow locals Stone Dead, with whom he has played stages all across Portugal. Never forgetting his hometown roots, but also seeking to carve out his own space as a solo artist.

With three albums released, Gallini has explored the paths of pop while always following a rock method (choruses, youth, electricity), but leaving room for other, more electronic tools (keyboards, theremins, vocoders) to breathe as well. His body of work draws as much from 1990s Britpop as from the 1950s space age, yet it sounds vibrant and current, without falling into the swampy grounds of mere nostalgia.