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Rating:
Recorded remotely between Italy and Miami during the “Great Global Panic” of 2020, “Venti” is the ninth work by Giorgio Canali, another bullseye for those who know how to appreciate this ever-elusive and critical “artist” in regard to mainstream thinking. A unique perspective that, as in all his albums, and especially in this one, targets the most current issues, defined in 2020 almost exclusively by the pandemic problem.
A choice that certainly caused a lot of grumbling even among his old supporters, or the serial surfers ready, as usual, to lash out at the next “old bastard” to insult freely.
Criticisms that certainly didn’t dent the tough armor of a musician who has always been true to himself. Thanks to the long period of isolation, he was able to produce a double album like this one, perhaps not his best but filled with insights and successful moments.
And then, the perfect initial triptych won’t be forgotten, starting with “Eravamo noi”, introduced by Giorgio’s “Mongolian” keyboard, where the words matter, as usual, hitting the mark with clarity, with the piece growing on you listen after listen, as it continues to haunt you until you are forced to admit that what it talks about is you.
Or “Nell'aria”, the definitive song of the album, words and music in the vein of great songwriters who have much to say, despite Canali being listened to by few.
It’s then easy to let go and lose oneself in the listening of these twenty tracks, in a rollercoaster of emotions, lost among fierce musical (few) and verbal polemics, irony ready to bite the common rules (“Inutile e irrilevante”), continuous references and self-references, phantasmagoric, spirited, and obscene blues (“Vodka per lo spirito santo”, a tribute to the late Mark Lanegan), and “pissed off” ballads as expected. In short, another record to take and keep jealously or to wear out through repeated listening. In doubt, I bought two copies.
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