ANTONIO PIGNATIELLO
A SUD DI NESSUN NORD

THE REVIEW

“A Sud Di Nessun Nord” by Antonio Pignatiello presents itself as a testament to the artistic maturity of a new “nocturnal storyteller” eager to astonish and fascinate both the public and critics with his deep voice, somewhere between Johnny Cash and Fabrizio De André.

This concept album, mixed by the “sound wizard” Taketo Gohara and recorded across the Peninsula with his close friend Giuliano Valori (to whom it is dedicated) and featuring around thirty musicians, is a very lively and warm record, which is immediately perceptible when listening to the first tracks.

“Vecchi Conti” (dedicated to Paolo Conte) is the first jewel of a 12-song artwork. With its perfect intertwining of acoustic and non-acoustic instruments, it immediately immerses us in the magical atmosphere that few albums can offer. The rhythm grows more engaging and pressing with “Canto del Rinchiuso” where electric guitars are perceived, somewhere between Calexico, Santana and Pulp Fiction distortions and mariachi trumpets that we find later in “Lontano da qui”, the first track chosen as a single: a splendid milonga. It is with “Cantico di Orfeo” that we discover Morricone-like echoes and references to classical literature. Next is the moving “Quando Nascesti te”, sung in duet with the talented Enza Pagliara. The two voices touch, embracing perfectly. With “Giù al Belleville”, one is left stunned, a song that separates Side A from Side B of the album. “Folle” is perhaps one of the gems of the album, partly sung, partly sighed; it is no coincidence that Antonio Pignatiello places it in the central body of the work. Following is “Bye Bye”: a journey that starts from the jazz of 1930s New Orleans to the frontier trumpets that evoke images from Mexico. Next is “L’attesa”, an inspired milonga dedicated to Atahualpa, then moving from Argentina to Cuba with “Occhi Neri” with its Latin piano and a rhythm echoing the Buena Vista Social Club. In this album, there is Latin, alt-rock, jazz, and folk.

With “Tra Giorno e Notte”, having a Mediterranean flavor, one prepares for the grand finale of “Non C’è Più” (text inspired by the writings of Cesare Pavese) while the music is a splendid Springsteen-like rock ballad. Overall, it is a very well-orchestrated and arranged album, elegant, cultured, worthy of a Tenco award and more. A sincere record, one to savor slowly, as they are rarely heard.

Beatrice Cori