Fabrizio Moro
L'inizio

The return of Fabrizio Moro to the scene sounds good. "L'inizio," the title of the new album, arrives about three years after the EP of unreleased tracks "Ancora Barabba" and sees the Roman singer-songwriter offering himself for the first time in his career as the sole writer of all the lyrics of the songs contained within it (ten, if you count the introduction). On the occasion of the release of his sixth studio album, Fabrizio Moro decided to enlist the help of some well-known names in the Italian singer-songwriter scene; there are several collaborations to highlight: first and foremost, the almost omnipresence of Piervincenzo Cortese (better known as Pier Cortese) on the iPad-generated sounds and synthesizer and that of Roberto Angelini on steel guitar in the title track "L'inizio." Also noteworthy are the presences of the GnuQuartet (string programming in "Sono come sono" and "Babbo Natale esiste," strings in "Questa canzone"), tenor Stefano Priori (his is the voice in "L'inizio"), Bandabardò's percussionist and trumpeter Ramon (percussion and winds in "Comunicando"), and the usual Danilo Molinari (guitarist already alongside Moro in previous works).

The ten tracks contained in the new studio album by the singer-songwriter appear to be united by a single common denominator: rebirth. But rebirth from what? Let's proceed in order. The three-year hiatus from the last studio work ("Ancora Barabba," as already mentioned) saw Moro experience a phase of stagnation in composing new songs (with exceptions like "Sono solo parole," brought to success last year by Noemi), as he himself declared in numerous interviews released before the publication of the new project. It was a phase of stagnation difficult to face and overcome, a challenging period both artistically and personally (he also mentioned it in an interview with Rockol). However, the newfound peace and regained inspiration allowed the young singer-songwriter to use that sort of crisis as a starting point towards the future (as confirmed by the cover image, which shows Moro's son holding a guitar and watching from afar a road that seems infinite). This rebirth also corresponds with the separation from Warner (the label that had handled the publication of Fabrizio’s previous works) and the founding of the independent La Fattoria Del Moro (distributed by Sony Music). Moro now produces together with Pier Cortese: an album far from market logic and mainstream.

Listening to the album kicks off with "L'inizio" and the first single "Sono come sono," where the Roman singer-songwriter embarks on a search for existential balance. In the third track, "L'eternità," Moro takes on the role of the romantic lover singing the notes of a predictably light song. "Io so tutto" seems to sound like the new piece written by Povia and presented at Sanremo: a provocative and politically committed song in which even the death of Divo Andreotti is predicted. New rhythms are explored through "Comunicando" (will we have the opportunity to see it performed on the stage of the next May Day Concert?), while "Questa canzone meravigliosa" pays homage to the singer-songwriting of Modugno, Bindi, Tenco, and Endrigo. Track number eight, "Soluzioni," presents itself as an ironic rant against all hypocrisy, with grooves and choruses reminiscent of Kasabian and a surprising finale where electric guitar, bass, and drums intertwine perfectly. Another politically committed piece is "L'Italia è di tutti," where Fabrizio Moro uses sophisticated rhymes for the common good of Italy (could it be the new anthem of the center-left coalition?). The album closes with "Babbo Natale esiste," a beautiful lullaby dedicated to little Libero, a must for a singer-songwriter who has become a father (following the lead of colleagues like Baglioni, Renga, and Antonacci).

The Moro who authored "Eppure mi hai cambiato la vita," "Sono solo parole," or the more recent "La mia felicità" (performed by Emma in her latest album of unreleased tracks, "Schiena") seems to be a thing of the past. In his place, emerges an artistically and humanly mature man, straightforward and without scruples: and "L'inizio" is precisely all of this, an album that is simple, direct, from the gut, from the heart. A blend of pop and electronic influences with essentially rock dynamics and incursions.