Litfiba
Essere O Sembrare

Okay, let's clear up any doubts right away: it's not enough to call themselves Litfiba – and thus, by shamelessly plundering the album's title, seem like Litfiba – to actually be Litfiba.

Damn them, this stuff ain't rock. It's pop disguised as rock. Forgive us the somewhat brusque tone, but that's exactly it. Meanwhile, to be perfectly honest, it really ticks us off that there are only nine tracks (!) in here. I mean, four years to write nine songs – and in between only "Larasong", soundtrack for a video game?

Is this the creativity of Cavallo, Renzulli, and their fine companions? And then, where have the sparks of old gone, the violence, the healthy defiance of a group that was once truly "against"? If you put this album in the stereo at a medium volume, you'll hear a uniform stream with some guitar riffs here and there, drums in the background, Cabo’s voice more or less husky. Even the lyrics more or less tackle the usual themes: the breath of the world, the sign of the journey, the timeless wind, the desire to feel alive ("Giorni di vento", which indeed has a beautiful melodic line, delicate, clean, essential); a somewhat forced nonconformity, which would make sense if Litfiba were a teen-band but, them being rather grown-up by now, sounds suspect (in "No mai": "You're kind to tell me what to do to avoid mistakes / You don't mind if I try to walk on these legs I have"). And then the power of love mixed with natural elements (in "Alba e tempesta"), the hard choice between human and divine and the call for coherence (again!) in "Prendere o lasciare", the mystery and esotericism – not to mention – in "Mistery train", the soul of man which is also the soul of the world in "La tela del ragno", which all in all remains one of the more striking tracks here.
And then again the fire and allusions to the devil (!) and damnation in not one but two songs in a row, "Sette vite" and "Stasera".

Damn, damn it! It's painful to criticize a band that has made – truly – the history of Italian rock, and now, however, needs a serious reflection. This album isn't bad, in the sense that it has nothing unpleasant about it, but from Litfiba we expect something more. So then: dear Litfiba, no one denies that you're still excellent musicians, that the live setting is your bread and butter, that one of your concerts is always a burst of energy, that you know your craft... but seriously, where's the genius gone?

And above all: what are your intentions for the future? What direction do you really want to take, beyond the obligations of releasing an album now and then to not fall into the void and oblivion?

You also sing in "Sette vite": "Who are you, if you are, who are you, where are we going?"