Sajanega
Musica del Diavolo

SAJANEGA
MUSIC OF THE DEVIL
EMMECIESSE Records, 2009
Produced by Nicolò Gasparini

Jimmy Cruscotto – vocals, guitar
Cuzze – drums, backing vocals
Frankie Lunotto – piano, keyboards
Cespu – bass

1.    PRENDI I SOLDI E SCAPPA
2.    PERCHÉ NON PROVI?
3.    TOGA PARTY
4.    OFFRO DA BERE
5.    MUSIC OF THE DEVIL
6.    NOW OR NEVER
7.    THIRSTY
8.    WATCHING YOU SLEEP
9.    ROCKABILLY TOWN
10.  JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH

Italy: the country of pizza, mafia, and golden voices to spread over a dish of recycled melodies. Many are fine with this, some go crazy, and others simply disagree: evidently, in the tiny rock fiefdom of Sossano, province of Vicenza, the Sajanega fight to restore value to national music; and they do so by picking healthy and genuine genres like rock n' roll, funk, and rockabilly and blending them, giving birth to a debut album with an at least inviting name for those who don’t believe in stereotypes.

The NYPD style intro in Venetian flavor, besides clarifying the group's exact pronunciation, creates an urban atmosphere before the explosion of "Prendi i Soldi e Scappa", a hard rock gallop driven by bass that doesn't take itself too seriously, thus succeeding in making for a pleasant and energetic song.
"Perché Non Provi?" feels a lot like 70s Aerosmith, maybe a bit dirtier: Jimmy’s sexual adventures are seasoned with a bouncy blues, complete with horns and a nickelodeon piano that must be truly captivating live.
The animalhousesque spirit of John Belushi animates "Toga Party", pure rock, focused and powerful, with a particular atmosphere thanks to the electronic background but not particularly fresh, although equipped with interesting elements such as a cool guitar solo.

"Offro da Bere" is true rock n' roll, swaying and wobbly: much more electric and direct than your discount rockabilly, it alternates real pogo phases with wisely spaced-out sections for a breather. Bullseye.
The power of the rhythm section and the carefree piano meld with the guitar, creating the title track, "Musica del Diavolo", yet another chapter borrowed from the 50s. The vocal charisma is evident, as well as the good energy of the piece, winking at the audience with determination and cunning.
The slapping bass launches "Ora o Mai Più" a thousand miles an hour, a funk-rock technique fresco with a nice riff. The song's structure might be a bit uncertain, but the soul is there, and you can feel it.
Another chapter of robust rock n' roll is "Assetata", a fast and compact piece under three minutes that sweeps away the sometimes lengthy passages of blues derivations to focus on excellent guitars, well supported by a cascade of black and white keys.

Power ballad chapter: "Guardarti Dormire" feels very much like 90s pop. To win over a girl, all it takes is a well-played acoustic guitar and piles of keyboards as sweet as honey, but to make the song less cliché, the aggressive acceleration of the finale and the screams of the electrified strings are absolutely necessary.
Perfectly fitting title for "Rockabilly Town", a carefree but not trivial track with small yet significant ska highlights, wisely interspersed with the main rockabilly track.
If it wasn't clear enough from the previous tracks, Sajanega love old-style rock, and to reinforce this, they insert a cover of the timeless Stones: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is one of the warhorses of the famous Jagger-Richards duo, and the four from Vicenza do not mar the masterpiece, indeed they reinterpret it in a personal (a very positive thing when it comes to covers), captivating and successful way.

The fact that original rock material emerged from Italy in 2009 is reason enough to celebrate. If this material is then positive, focused, and with character, it's even better. Sajanega take rock from the source and distill it with care and passion. It may not be the masterpiece of the century, but "Musica del Diavolo" is genuinely pleasant and not clichéd as the times would suggest.