Browsing Tag

Italian Singer Songwriter

Northern Lights of Love: Francesca Pichierri’s ‘Sperarci Due Eroi’

Francesca Pichierri

Francesca Pichierri’s latest single, Sperarci Due Eroi (Hoping We Are Two Heroes), instantly reels you in with stabbing piano chords that drip baroque beguile into a cabaret-pop-style ballad. But the true power lies in Francesca Pichierri’s ethereal harmonies that take hold before the track ramps up to anthemic intensity. Even as the crescendo builds and the track teeters on the brink of chaos, she maintains a gracefully composed command over every element of the instrumentation. If you’ve ever wondered what art pop perfection sounds like, all you need to do is hit play on this cultivated evocation of pure emotion.

The bilingual vocals add another dimension to the track, which never veers into histrionics; instead, it leans in, deeper and deeper into aural cinema. The looming piano anchors the soundscape with weight and inevitability, its resonant tones underscoring the gravity of the themes, while the shimmering electronic layers and visceral rock elements carry the emotional tension to its breaking point.

As part of her upcoming concept album, Cellule Stronze, this release narrates her mother’s battle with ovarian cancer. Pichierri stitches themes of heroism and resilience into the fabric of the music, transforming the Northern Lights into a poignant metaphor for enduring love and courage. It’s a heart-wrenching yet empowering exploration of love’s ability to sustain and protect, even when the path ahead is shrouded in uncertainty.

Stream ‘Sperarci Due Eroi’ on all major platforms, including Spotify, from January 31st.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Umberto Bravo pulled the purity out of salaciousness with his sophomore synth-pop single, Sacred Sinner

Italian independent singer-songwriter and composer Umberto Bravo has unleashed his synthy sophomore single, Sacred Sinner, which modernises the 80s pop tonal palette with explorative vision and lavish layers of soul.

The mid-tempo ballad embellishes the 80s pop sound with gospel traditionalism through the vocals as the instrumentals push lush synth cords against consistently evolving guitars, which know just where to transfuse the gritty and transcendent tones to make the peaks and valleys of the emotional rollercoaster infinitely steeper.

Some view lust as a cardinal sin, but if anyone can make the case for the purity of salaciousness, it is Umberto Bravo in this carnally magnetic earworm that could rouse even the most sexually repressed puritans.

“Sacred Sinner is not a love song, let alone musical pornography. But it certainly goes against the traditional dynamic of the relationships of equality that exist between two people dealing with intimacy.”

Sacred Sinner was released on January 14th across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marco Pastoré Cammarino delivered a smoky plaintive soul serenade with his latest single, Empty Bus

Remorse may be the overarching emotion within the Italian, Lisbon-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Marco Pastoré Cammarino’s latest single, Empty Bus; sonically, it progressively drifts across the tonal spectrum to stand as a testament to the artist’s aptitude for melodic expression.

After a plaintively sparse intro that suckers you into the melancholy, the smoky jazz horns, Nile Rodger-Esque guitar chops and seductive keys make for an aphrodisiacal platform for Marco Pastoré Cammarino’s just as knee-weakening vocal timbre.

Towards the outro, Marco Pastoré Cammarino’s rock influences collide with the soundscape in an entirely unexpected, indulgently appreciated style. In short, Empty Bus is a single that never stops giving the gravitas.

Empty Bus is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Italian singer-songwriter, Flame set souls alight with her soulfully-composed, orchestrally-scored single, Anyway.

‘Anyway’ is the latest orchestrally scored single from the Italian singer-songwriter, Flame. With a vocal timbre that more than justifies Flame being put in the same league as Amy Winehouse and the stunning instrumentals that bring a cinematic edge to the release, you’re left with little option when it comes to surrendering to the artistic intensity. It is enough to make Adele sound pedestrian.

Anyway unravels as a candid open letter to the sorrow imparted through torrid passion; it runs through relatable and witty notions that are rarely voiced, but Flame’s boldness lends itself to her sonic style as much as her lyricism.

The official video for Anyway premiered on November 26th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast