Francesco Motta
La fine dei vent'anni

After two albums with the band Criminal Jokers and a good amount of live experience gained through extensive collaborations with artists like Nada, Zen Circus, and Pan del Diavolo, the multi-instrumentalist Francesco Motta unexpectedly burst onto the scene with his solo debut in March 2016. The surprise lies in the fact that although Motta's name was almost unknown to the general public until then, among industry insiders there had been much buzz about this imminent release, with the same eager anticipation that accompanied Calcutta's debut in November. The album is co-produced with Riccardo Sinigaglia, and precisely thanks to the reputation Motta has built within the indie community, he can boast some highly respectable collaborations, especially for a debut: among others, Laura Arzilli (former wife and collaborator of Tiromancino) on bass, along with Giorgio Canali and Cesare Petulicchio of Bud Spencer Blues Explosions on guitar and electronics, respectively. "La fine dei vent'anni," whose cover clearly references the iconography of Jim Morrison, essentially covers themes widely explored by indie songwriters, yet still manages to keep a safe distance from clichés and nihilistic melancholies. Francesco's precarious tone is highly recognizable and serves as a counterbalance to very distinctive and well-arranged rhythms, ranging from the lysergic-obsessive-tribal of Prenditi quello che vuoi to the reggae of Mio padre era comunista, accompanying an overall sound that, for obvious reasons, recalls Tiromancino and the early Max Gazzè. A debut that deserves the recognition it's received and makes genuineness its strong point: Francesco Motta is sharp, direct, with a vaguely defiant attitude reminiscent of Richard Ashcroft, energy, and quality. Excellent debut.

“My friend, I've been telling you for years let's get out of here
but we always have someone to save”

Color note: in the video for the single "La fine dei vent'anni," Giovanni Truppi appears: if you don't know him yet, rush to YouTube.