• Rating:
Melancholic Nostalgia
He pointed to the stars of jazz, walked under the rain, sang the beauty of Genoa, drew kisses and smiles, paid tribute to Paris, threw a grand piano into the high sea, colored music with blue, and chased Gino Bartali's escapes on "a sad nose like a hill". Then he traveled the world and recounted his music to thousands of enchanted people.
Today, he might also be tired, but that’s not the case. Paolo Conte still wants to fantasize and tell us his stories, showing us his passion for "a music of rust", that smells of twilight, distance, and nostalgia. To do so today, he gifts us with an album of unreleased songs with a beautiful title: Elegia.
It had been many years since he had recorded new songs. His last studio work – Una faccia in prestito – dates back to 1995. This is because it’s not his habit to produce an album every year: he writes, sings, and records when he feels like it. However, during this time span, he certainly hasn't held back. Apart from concert activities, he re-recorded a series of his classics for Nonesuch Records (Reveries – 2004) and played with musicals (Razmataz – 2000), while also continuing to develop his interest in painting. But a new album is always another thing. Many were waiting for "Elegia" and in my opinion, it does not disappoint expectations.
It’s a fine work, perhaps not one of the best, because it highlights an artistic transition of the Asti songwriter. It indeed shows a Paolo Conte somewhat different from the one most loved and known. Different, but no less fascinating and elegant.
There is less jazz, his piano is more measured and melodic, leaving less space for rhythm. In the music, one can breathe more melancholy, introspection, and nostalgia than in the past, and considering that his history was already rich in these expressive registers. In particular, with this album, Conte intends to evoke post-war Italy, which he feels is more sincere than the current one, yet at the same time very distant.
The themes of the songs do not betray tradition: there is tango, sunsets, smoky images, cinema, exoticism, his light irony, and also a touch of bitterness. More self-citation in "La nostalgia del Mocambo".
Perhaps the main feature of the album is that it cannot be listened to distractedly in the background. It requires attention, otherwise, there is a risk of not understanding it and being disappointed. One needs to try to slowly savor the stories that Conte paints with music. Listening to the music without focusing on the words makes no sense. You need the patience to let the atmospheres and the feelings it evokes settle.
So, little by little, you will realize that this music is meant for important and intense moments. Those we want to dedicate to ourselves, to our thoughts, when we only wish to dream and remember.
Those in a hurry should not waste their time.
Loading comments slowly
