Zocaffe
Noi non siamo figli

I stumbled upon this album after listening to the previous CD released by Phonarchia Dischi, namely Etruschi from Lakota. I didn't know that band, but since their "I nuovi mostri" appealed to me, I decided to also listen to the second production of this young record label.

I start the streaming of this "Noi non siamo figli" by the Tuscan band Zocaffe. Meanwhile, I browse around to try to understand a little more about these guys. I discover that they are on their second album, have done quite a few dates around, and have won some award at the Italia Wave. And hearing the first two tracks of the album, "Antonello" and especially the title track "Noi non siamo figli", I’m quite satisfied with the band's compelling rhythms: they seem to sound retro and very modern at the same time: nice! To be honest, the voice doesn't quite convince me 100%; at some moments it appears weak compared to the energy of the music that makes you want to dance. Quite interesting lyrics, which I read somewhere were not written by the band, but by a certain Riccardo Stefani. I don't know who he is. However, they are interesting, they seem like village stories, and for someone like me who was born in a city, it's almost like seeing characters from Pieraccioni's films. Very amusing. The most peculiar track is perhaps "I boschi di Fiano", which I appreciated a lot as it’s the moment when the guys truly show they know their way around their instruments.

Other tracks, I admit, left me a bit indifferent, perhaps we are facing a valid album but listening to it in its entirety can be a bit heavy. A big plus in the record goes to Nicola Baronti’s production, who managed to make this album sound exactly as it should, a "living" album. In short, for now a full pass, we will see in the future if these Zocaffe will manage to make the leap in quality that (perhaps) is within their reach.