Giorgio Poi
Fa Niente

One of the topics of major discussion and "quarrels" with my wife when we listen to music together (or rather, when I listen to music in her presence) is the voice.

If it doesn't meet certain (her) standards, she is naturally inclined to reject the entire song, to throw everything away, music and lyrics, even if the former was written by Beethoven and the latter by Dante Alighieri.

I, unlike her, after the initial encounter with a strange and particular voice (let's say unpleasant), ask myself: "Isn't there something more? Could it be an invitation to look beyond?" And I go further.

This happened with many groups and singers in the past, and it happened this time with Giorgio Poi.

A duckling voice, although certainly less irritating and "spiteful" than that of Les Claypool of the legendary Primus, or that of Billy Corgan (indeed, compared to them, it almost makes you fond, the little duckling Giorgio..).

Going beyond, beyond the voice, I found quite a few things.

The rhythmic Battisti of the mid-70s (“Niente di strano” reminds me so much of “Neanche un minuto di non amore”), crossed with the psychedelia of Beck (who, as luck would have it, Poi seems to have recently had the chance to meet) from a few years ago, particularly from Midnight Vultures (the coda of “L’abbronzatura”).

A lot of daring citations, even one of the melodic line of Venditti's Ricordati di me, bordering on plagiarism, in “Tubature”.

Some write that they also remember Tame Impala, I don't know.

It is certainly a fun album with all those bouncing bass and drum patterns (I go crazy for that drum pattern as much as Steven Drozd when he played the drums in the already mentioned “L’abbronzatura”), but also the bass riff in “Acqua minerale.”

The album, in short, puts me in a good mood even if it talks a lot about loss (the end of a romantic relationship).

Apart from one song, possibly the best, that shouldn't be listened to before turning off the light and sleeping, because it leaves you with a bad feeling for the next morning, absolutely to be avoided, “Paracadute”.

One last thing, a few words about the videos for “Niente di strano” and “Acqua minerale”, full of unbridled psychedelia, the latter quite inspired in the "homemade" graphic style to those of the Flaming Lips (see this) when they were still rather poor and naturally (that is, not artificially) crazy.

Recommended listening and viewing.