From Baustelle to Elton John: the albums out this week
From the return of the Baustelle two years after “Elvis”, in the year in which the Tuscan band celebrates its twenty -five years of record activity, to that of Elton John, ready to return to the track two years from the farewell to the stages with a new album engraved together with his friend Brandi Carlile. And then the new solo album of Cristiano Godano, the frontman of the Marlene Kuntz, and the one that instead marks the debut of the Les Votives, the revelation rock band of the last edition of X Factor. And again: the Black Country, New Road, Trentaini Pietro and BNKR44. Many records coming out this week, of all genres and for all palates. Here are our listening tips.
Elton John and Brandi Carlile – “Who Believes in Angels?”
Written and recorded in 20 days, “Who Believes in Angels?” It is the joint album fruit of friendship and mutual esteem between Elton John and Brandi Carlile, an American singer -songwriter born in 1981 considered one of the undisputed protagonists of the folk rock scene.
It was 2009 when together they wrote and engraved “Caroline”, contained in the Carlile album “Give Up the Gost”. The collaboration was renewed after fifteen years last year for “Never Too Late”, a song contained in the soundtrack of the homonymous documentary film on the career of the Rocket Man, who allowed the two to obtain an Oscar nomination as “Best original song”. The album comes two years after Elton John’s official official show before retiring by concerts and mixes songs played by Elton and songs played by Carlile, with the longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin and Brandi who both contribute to the texts, and the producer and co-author Andrew Watt who acts as a producer, mediator and through creative. The two are flanked by a band of world -class musicians made up of Chad Smith, Pino Palladino and Josh Klinghoffer.
Black Country, New Road – “Forever Howlong”
A refined ensemble with technique to sell, a Naif group of friends who refuses the idea of having a leader, a year -end essay with moments of light embarrassment on cleaning and on the agreement of tools on stage, a band with a punk soul that refuses the scores: the Black Country, New Road are all this, blended together. We described them exactly like this when we saw them live in the summer of 2023. They will release their new album “Forever Howlong”, released on April 4 on Ninja Tune. It is their first studio project since 2022, after “Ants from Up There”, which has reached the number three position in the UK charts. With “Forever Howlong”, the third work of unpublished studio, the band turns again, building everything from scratch. The disc shows Black Country, New Road in a new formation in which vocal tasks – and most of the writing – are divided between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw.
Baustelle – “El Galactico”
The latest anticipation? “The art of letting go”, a folk rock song, a song with deep themes, but with a pressing rhythm, in perfect Baustelle style. As Bianconi explains: “We wanted it sparkling and light, as short as youth, fast as a car ride on the Pacific Coast Highway and on the Aurelia.” With the enthralling rhythm of drums and guitars, the song becomes a journey between sweat and existential roe deer, where reflection on life and death becomes music. The song is a story of fragility and resistance, which sinks into the challenges of life. It is the third single of the album to be released on April 4, “El Galactico”, already anticipated by “Uncogliami” and “A story”. A project based on 60s sounds with calls to California of that period.
Cristiano Godano – “Stammes next”
It is the second solo album of Cristiano Godano, Frontman of Marlene Kuntz, a band that marked the history of Italian music in thirty years of career. The project was-produced by Luca A. Rossi (ex üstmamò) and by Cristiano Godano himself. The solo artistic path started 5 years ago with the production/publication of “I had lost my heart”, a debut promoted and played in over 200 lives. The historic frontman of the Marlene Kuntz now returns with a new chapter, written and recorded in recent years, a musical journey imbued with delicacy and introspection, which while exploring complex issues, wants to instill lightness thanks to unusual lyrics with easy melodies involved by sought -after sounds and arrangements.
Half -legal – “Visceral”
“Viscerale” is the new half -legal album, to be released on Friday 4 April. After the collaborations with Ultimo on the song “Universal Diluvio” and the republication of “Cicatrene Music”, an important album for the Italian hip hop, entirely reproduced with the addition of Gaia’s voice on the track “Piove Musica”, the rapper returns with an unreleased album. Among the most significant artists of the Urban scene, author of traces that have become worship in the underground, half -bait returns after years of waiting with his fifth studio album. The title, from the Latin Visceralis, was chosen for a precise reason: it is not only a declaration of intent, but a brand. “A word that indicates an irrational and acritical condition, almost arising from the bowels and was inherent in the biological constitution”, reads the launch of the disc.
Les Votives – “Windows”
“A window on our world and on that of all those who deserve to be seen and listened to,” they say, presenting the project. Four months after the participation in X Factor, the Les Votives, the Milanese rock band revelation of the latest edition of the talent show, makes its debut with the EP “Windows”. To anticipate the exit of the mini album, after the singles “Monster” (the unpublished presented to X Factor) and the cover of “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” of Sylvester, the single “Feel ALIGHT”, impregnated with the rock’n’roll style, from the 60s atmospheres, which characterizes the group, thinks about it. Keep an eye on them.
Thirteen Pietro – “Don’t look down”
In addition to “Pizza and figs”, the song with which in 2018 he began to be talked about, there is more. Thirteen Pietro, the name of art by Pietro Morandi, son of Gianni, will try to demonstrate it with the tracks that make up the album “Do not look down”, which comes three years after the joint disc with Lil Busso “Lovesick” of 2022 and is the first solo work of the Bolognese rapper after “usual place, usual troubles” released the same year. The project, he anticipates him, will reveal “a more conscious and mature side” of his musical identity. The album was anticipated by the single “Truth”.
BNKR44 – “Touch the sky”
Ascended to the limelight at national level last year thanks to the participation in the Sanremo Festival with “Punk Government” (on the evening of the covers duet with the great Pino d’Angiò on “But what idea”, revisiting the song), the BNKR44 return with a new album, the fourth of their career after “44.
Deluxe “,” get hurt to us is fine “and” off -road “. They entitled it” touches the sky “,” because it is a metaphorical action of those who aspire to rise higher and higher, to conquer the goals that we all have given ourselves during our path. 2024 was a great year for us, in which we had successes and conquests, but we are determined to do better and always reach new peaks. For ourselves and for our fans. On the other hand we also wanted to tell the illusion of reaching the highest point, often when you get there, we realize that all that glitters is not gold “. About the disc, anticipated by the individual” masterpiece “and” Spa Cabaret “, the BNKR44 say:” It was a long journey, we wrote a lot, even too much. It was not easy in these two years to choose which songs to insert in the project. We loved each other, we had fun, we quarreled and hated ourselves, but we have never been so united. We explored and created at home, in Milan, Korea, France and the sea, before returning to our Villanova. We are happy to share this new journey with everyone, we will not touch the sky just to be able to say it. “
