CapaRezza
Il sogno eretico

When we put on a record by Caparezza and press the play button on our player, we are immediately sure of one thing: we are about to listen to something original. This is for sure: the trusted long-haired artist from Puglia never lets us down, and he hasn't let us down this time either.

Or rather, he didn't let us down with the lyrics of the songs (which are this artist's real strength), but something in the music, this time, doesn't work. Of course, those who love Caparezza are well aware of his mix of rap, pop, rock, and reggae that he has accustomed us to in previous albums (the most notable: "Le dimensioni del mio caos", his masterpiece), but isn't the originality of an artist like Capa also (and perhaps above all) in knowing how to reinvent the seven notes?

The first single, "Goodbye Malinconia", had raised hopes: "Wow! But this sounds a lot like 80s pop-dance! We're almost in the new-romantic!" and I could already see Caparezza in the sweaty and crowded discos of the upcoming summer (not that this is necessarily a positive factor, but it was something new for Him) and instead, the rest of the new album sounds quite old, tired, and dull, not even very original since the album uses the same trick of a Concept-Album that was already used in "Le Dimensioni Del Mio Caos", where the songs are linked together by narrative voices. It's a pity because the lyrics are cutting, edgy, and fitting as always.

The opening is entrusted to the lyrical "Nessun dorma", used as a prelude to the first social critique we find in "Chi se ne frega della musica" in which Caparezza lambasts the show-biz revolving around record companies (but he also takes a jab at Facebook, too bad he also has his own page on the famous social network, oh well...) up to an almost delirious finale where he lists a series of "opportunists and mercenaries of music". 

Yes indeed, our long-haired friend is particularly angry this time, he shows it throughout almost the entire album after all, from denouncing a wayward Italy in the hit "Goodbye Malinconia" to the tedious "Non siete stato voi", from the fake quiz "Cose che non capisco" to the annoying, banal, and predictable reggae of "Legalize the premier" (if Capa doesn't insert something reminiscent of the Sud Sound System somewhere, he's not happy...). And then, like direct punches to the face, come the real gems, those songs that you immediately know who wrote them (and now I'm talking not only about the lyrics but also the music), those tracks that only Caparezza can compose and sing: "La fine di Gaia", "La ghigliottina" and finally the masterpiece, the jewel (and surely one of the best songs by Capa) that comes last, almost as if to apologize for some flaws during listening: "Ti sorrido mentre affogo", an exciting, jolting and fast ironic rap perfect in its style and words. A song that immediately makes us forget the embarrassing and annoying "La marchetta di Popolino" and all the small mistakes scattered throughout the album; an album that unfortunately emulates too much the style "initial verse - stupid pop chorus - final verse" which was fine for some past songs, but which we now thought was surpassed. 

Overall, "Il Sogno Eretico" is certainly the lesser among Caparezza's albums, but at the same time, it has genius and well-executed ideas that overshadow (if not even erase) everything that goes wrong.

As mentioned before, if we put on a Caparezza album, we are sure that whatever we are about to listen to is something that won't disappoint us.