The Hacienda
Picking Pennies Off The Floor

First album for Hacienda, after their debut with the EP "Conversation Less" in 2009, the indie rock group returns with "Picking Pennies Off The Floor".

The album immediately aims to clarify the Brit-influenced path the band has taken since their nomenclature, the title indeed translates to "picking pennies off the floor" and consists of 12 tracks totaling about 40 minutes. Completely digestible for its entire duration, it draws absolute inspiration from various sixties groups like the Kinks and to a lesser extent the Who, without forgetting the current indie rock and brit pop trends.

After the opening track "You Might Be Wrong" that immediately sums up the group's style, the album quickly gets to the heart with "We’re Supposed To Be Together", a fresh and straightforward piece followed by one of the most interesting and successful tracks of the album, the irreverence and simplicity of "Nova", with a winning chorus reminiscent of Oasis' "Be Here Now", has all the marks of being labeled as a chart-topping hit. Songs rich in serenity like "Here In This Sand" or the indie irreverence of "Last Bus On The Way" with a 'contagious' chord progression from the first listen, artfully season the album, not ignoring the jazz contamination of "Why Would You Come Back" which vaguely harks back to the aforementioned Kinks. After a couple of tracks that hit and miss like "Mexican Salad" and "Mrs. Nobody", the album closes with "Sun Down Four Fifty Seven" with a good nod to the English beat music from a few decades ago.

Despite not maintaining the freshness and irreverence of the debut EP "Conversation Less", the present "Picking Pennies Off The Floor" passes the test of the first exam thanks also to a good production and a notable ability to range between the memories of old legends and the current rock trends from across the channel. I should mention, let it not be a surprise that we are talking about a band strictly made in Italy from Florence, and let this not inspire especially sterile and useless prejudices.

Album rating: 7