The Casanovas
Hot Star

THE REVIEW

When you speak of Casanova, you immediately associate his name with seduction and his incredible sense of adventure. You listen to the Casanovas, and you notice that these two components are exquisitely set to music. Sirjoe Stomp on drums and Diletta "Lady" Casanova on bass and vocals enjoy mixing up the cards on the table, creating a sound that, while belonging to the 2000s, dangerously winks at the previous decade. It would be reductive to describe them as Italian Kills; in reality, within "Hot star," you hear echoes of Le Tigre and something more danceable like Gossip, minimalism dear to Elastica, along with some nods to Death From Above 1979 (listen to the excellent bass line of "With you").

La Stella Calda contains a half-hour of danceable pop, irredeemably sexy, thanks also to Diletta's captivating and simple voice. The sound is stripped to the bone, yet, thanks to the good production entrusted to Francesco Appino of the Zen Circus and the various collaborations involved (Enrico Gabrielli of Calibro 35, Simone Lalli of Autobam and Antonio Bacciocchi of Not Moving), it feels full and absolutely fresh, thanks to the skillful use of synthesized sounds and some hidden guitar within the folds of the rhythm section.
What I still haven't understood after re-listening is the presence of the three tracks in Italian. I might be a foreign-language enthusiast, but I believe that not all projects born in Italy can be set to music using the mother tongue. For me, it's inevitable that "Bancone," "Radio Days," or the intense "Doop Doo Ah" are preferred to less incisive tracks like "Rosso & Blu" and "Vi Odio Tutti," which repeatedly allude to Prozac intake in the vocals. The tracks in English are more targeted and spontaneous, more incisive and captivating. An exception is "Amore A Scampia," a track that, however, belongs more to Appino's DNA than to that of the Casanovas.

"Hot star" is a successful product, which could be appreciated even outside Italian borders. This duo has all it takes to surprise us if they have the courage to raise the stakes in the immediate future.
If they happen to be in your area and you love distortions, don't hesitate to go to one of their concerts: you won't regret it.