Daniele Silvestri
Scotch

I've already talked about the artist, so I'll focus on the work, wondering why no one else has done so yet.

"Scotch" is the seventh album of unreleased tracks by the Roman minstrel, coming out a full 4 years after the previous one... but with all the time Daniele takes from one album to the next, I honestly expected more. Firstly, the main HIT is missing, and this might be a plus for some, as Silvestro has often been criticized (unfairly) for leaning towards the commercial side. The first single is “Ma che di scorsi”; it’s nice, it works, flows well, and is light enough. The vocal lines remind you a lot of vintage Paul Simon, while the chorus is very much like Zero Assoluto, which isn't exactly great news, in fact... but the track is really pleasant overall. Personally, I have always appreciated Daniele for his ability to create high-level melodies, complex yet catchy, both vocally and instrumentally. In this album, however, the gems are a bit scarce. I’m looking for something like “la bomba” (see “il dado”), but unfortunately, I can't find it, despite the attempts both at the beginning and the end, with “Le Navi” and “Questo Paese”, which also features a certain Bollani, though I would have let him play a bit more. “Sornione” is soft and well-arranged, but the melody doesn’t hold up. Niccolò Fabi doesn't improve the situation, refined but ethereal and intangible, perhaps even too much, as is often the case with him. There’s a bit of space for the musicians in “Fifty Fifty”, where the excellent Pietro Monterisi stands out on drums (otherwise criminally hidden), a high-level bass, and a baritone sax a bit too insistent but quite fun. For the rest, there are quite a few tracks, but in my opinion, they hardly leave a mark. “Acqua che Scorre” is too slow and light, arranged simply, and even here, the guest of the moment (whom I don’t know) doesn't solve anything, quite the opposite. The same goes for “Acqua Stagnante”, romantic but musically too light and uninspired, though never as much as “In un ora soltanto”... how flat, folks. “Moniro(r)”, picks up a bit, but here comes the ever-critical leftist Silvestro at any cost, with demagoguery just around the corner, exactly like in “Precario il Mondo”, half rap, half jumble already heard and re-heard in many recent Silvestri works.

Quickly forgetting the appearance of Camilleri (or is it Fiorello, come on...), thumbs down for the guest appearance of Gino Paoli in “La Chatta”, truly negligible, as well as that of the Avion Travel guy in "SCOTCH" (who at least could have sung, considering he does it well), another song so predictable that it becomes annoying. Daniele, I wonder, what happened to you? Oh there you are in “L'appello”. Fast, smart, well-played, inspired, swing and ska all at once. It smells a bit like the great “Banalità” from a few albums back... but it sounds great, so more of this, please! The tribute to Gaber is also nice. A note of merit for the cover, very funny. The internal photo depicting “i soliti noti”, musicians with great skill, is a bit unsettling because it makes me think that there's an epidemic of chronic baldness in Rome.

Summing up, even though I’ve torn it apart, the CD isn’t too bad. It’s well produced (in the past Daniele was much more rustic), contains good ideas, and is definitely more than listenable. The work as a whole speaks to me of a songwriter who is now mature, with more class and craft to his credit, but a bit sullen and less inspired. Come on Daniele, get back up!