Quindi?

Chronique

Fresh from his critically acclaimed debut role in Rocco Papaleo's road movie Basilicata Coast to Coast, eclectic Rome-born vocalist Max Gazzé returns to his day job with his seventh studio album, Quindi? Produced by Giorgio Baldi, the follow-up to 2008's Tra l'Aratro e la Radio shows that his romantic streak hasn't deserted him since his bid for acting glory, with several slices of soulful Italian blues ("Senza Coda," "Il Drago Che Ti Adora"), melancholic jazz-tinged balladry ("La Cosa Piu Importante," his accompanying film theme tune "Mentre Dormi"), and swooning orchestral pop ("La Moglie del Poeta"). But Gazzé is just as renowned for his slightly left-field offerings, and while the medieval rock of "Edera" and the slightly chaotic attack on video game violence "Storie Crudeli (Non C'è Ragione per Raccontare)" showcase the avant-garde tendencies that have made every one of his previous six records unpredictable affairs, his forays into synth-led territory prove to be the most captivating, whether it's the ambient electronica of opener "Io Dov'ero" (a belated follow-up to the four "Atmos" pieces from 1996 debut Contro Un'Onda fel Mare), the slap bass-driven funk of "Nuovi Allineamenti di Stonehenge," or the angular indie disco of "A Cuore Scalzo." Gazzé may be a novice on the thespian front, but Quindi? shows that when it comes to contemporary Italian pop/rock, he's undoubtedly one of the masters.

© Jon O'Brien /TiVo