Tommy Riccio
Nu Latitante

LA RECENSIONE

Tommy Riccio is part of the generation of Neapolitan neomelodics. Throughout his long recording career, he has deeply analyzed the existential condition of lives on the edge of legality, love stories filled with misunderstandings and betrayals, delving into their most painful aspects with depth. It can be said, without fear of contradiction, that his nasal singing, rich in melodramatic lyricism, has influenced a whole series of young Neapolitan authors.

"'Nu Latitante" surely represents the unsurpassed pinnacle of his entire discography. The album remains inspired throughout its duration, without any substantial drop in tone. With this work, the artist demonstrates his full maturity. His innate melodic talent, his ability to represent the everyday life, and his taste for delightful arrangement are at their highest levels here.

The album begins immediately with the title track: a melancholic piano intro, and we're quickly swept away by a driving drumbeat into a bleak family tableau. It's the story of a fugitive, forced by a slip-up with the law to stay away from his own children. The portrayal of life on the run is painted with vibrant realism. Riccio, in fact, narrates with his unmistakable lament in Neapolitan dialect the deep bitterness of not being able to return even at Christmas to deliver gifts to his kids and the dramatic condition of being unable to proclaim his innocence. Hope, at this point, remains the only way out, the only lifeline that prevents the thoughts of being deprived of one's liberty, shut away in a damp room. Undoubtedly one of the best tracks produced in the 90s by the Neapolitan current.
Not enough time to dry tears, and we find ourselves immersed in another bleak scene, "Non sono stato con lei": a husband trying to convince his wife he hasn't cheated, trapped by the usual spiteful gossip. The restrained force of the drums enhances the emotion of the piece, interspersed with figures of synthetic saxophone and enriched by a chilling electric guitar finale.
The usual melancholy notes introduce "Na storia e'n'anno fa". The theme is still love, but this time the tension rises. A couple enters a crisis again over an alleged affair. Ringing phones, tearful accordions, and especially female vocal embellishments reminiscent of "The Great Gig In The Sky" by Pink Floyd, create an atmosphere of great drama.
"Un bacio inevitabile", with its semi-disco rhythm, speaks again of condominium subterfuges, a place hiding heart's pitfalls on every floor. And always, at its core, the bitter understanding of the lustful human condition.
"Pecchè l'è fatte capità" reverses the roles, this time it's the husband suffering from the wife's carnal weakness, a theme in turn reversed again in "L'amica di mia moglie" (second single extracted): The background is again the condominium, but this time the protagonist is not just sex, but love, a sentiment that has always played a key role in Riccio's music. A fleeting glance on the stairs cannot satisfy the overwhelming desire of the other, so risk becomes routine, with all the consequences of being caught in the act by an undesirable husband.
"Cu tte" is the story of an adolescent love never forgotten. The two lose sight of each other for years, but suddenly meet again, and the passion reignites. The man, unable to get the woman out of his head, even though she's married, tries to trace her by any means. "Cu ttè, i facesse ancor ammore" declares Tommy, as the image of the beloved woman drifts away...
Now it's the turn of the lascivious tango of "Comme vulesse ca murisse" and "Và", rich in pastoral suggestions, and ending with another major piece, "Che te vieste a ffà", an exhilarating crescendo between Riccio's melancholy warbles and sinuous keyboard figures, once again unraveling the theme of betrayal, surely the common thread of the album.

There's no doubt about it. An unmissable album for all genre lovers, which, as already mentioned, will greatly influence the entire Neapolitan scene, and will stand as a representative of a movement that, although "niche", demonstrates with this work the potential to reach significantly larger audiences.