St. Vincent, Pet Shop Boys and Neil Young: records of the week
The return of St. Vincent three years after the last album and that of Pet Shop Boys after four years of recording silence. And then the unstoppable Neil Young, Justice and – looking at Italy – the reissue of Giorgia's debut and the new Baby Gang album. Here are the most anticipated albums of the week.
Pet Shop Boys – “Nonetheless”
The duo composed of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, icon of 80s synth pop, returns four years after their last album “Hotspot” with a new work, their fifteenth. The album is Pet Shop Boys' first with producer James Ford, who has previously worked with artists including Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur, Gorillaz and Simian Mobile Disco. The album also sees the duo return to Parlophone, the label that released their iconic and highly successful material from 1985-2012. “Nonetheless” contains 10 new songs, recorded and mixed in London last year, mainly at James Ford's studio in East London. The orchestra and choirs were recorded at The Church studio in North London.
St. Vincent – “All Born Screaming”
“You will be mine for eternity…”. So says St. Vincent with fiery determination in “Flea”, the second preview of the seventh studio album “All Born Screaming”, out April 26. “'All Born Screaming' is an invitation to challenge the limits of the possible and go beyond them,” explained the artist. Thanks also to the help of a very careful selection of friends and collaborators such as Rachel Eckroth, Josh Freese, Dave Grohl, Mark Guiliana, Cate Le Bon, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Stella Mozgawa and David Ralicke, this new work is an absolute representation of the vision of St. Vincent. After two albums produced with Jack Antonoff, including the latest “Daddy's Home” in 2021, Annie Clark, this is her real name, decided to do things on her own. “All Born Screaming” is in fact the first album entirely self-produced by the singer-songwriter, a working process that allowed her to show herself without filters, putting on tape the whole world she had inside her.
Giorgia – “Giorgia”
It was 1994 when Giorgia Todrani's voice began to illuminate Italian pop like a star: “E poi”, seventh classified among the “New proposals” at the Sanremo Festival of that year, marked the beginning of the journey of the Roman singer, among the most beautiful, talented and precious voices that Italian music has ever had. Thirty years later, the album of which the hit was part is back in stores. Simply titled “Giorgia”, the singer's first album was published by Sony Music – as well as on CD, also accompanied by a 45 rpm single of “E poi” with gatefold cover, 8-page booklet, autographed insert and 45 rpm single in colored recycled vinyl – for the first time ever on vinyl, in a 180 gram transparent limited edition.
Neil Young – “Fuckin' up”
Recorded during a secret show at The Rivoli club in Toronto on November 4th, Neil Young's new album with his Crazy Horse now arrives in stores. The album contains new performances of songs already known to the followers of the Canadian icon, who reinterpreted them together with Billy Talbot (bass, vocals), Ralph Molina (drums, vocals), Micah Nelson (guitar, vocals, piano), Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals, piano). Already released in a colored vinyl edition for Record Store Day last Saturday, this Friday the album will arrive in stores on black vinyl and CD.
Baby Gang – “The Evil Angel”
Listening to “Innocente”, his latest album released in 2023, you could already sense it crystal clear. The music of Baby Gang, born Zaccaria Mouhib, in an embrace between languages and styles that exude hip hop beyond a clean technique, is one of the most effective means to open one's eyes and realize not only the undeniable talent of one of the most interesting phenomena of the current urban world, but also to listen to the voice of that “second generation” daughter of migrants and cultural mixes, often on the margins of society. An uncomfortable voice which, despite the legal troubles, recounts the ups and downs of one's condition and which should be listened to, aware of some aspects that are not always digestible, corrosive and deliberately annoying. And the climb does not seem to stop, but rather, to be only at the beginning: Paky, Blanco, Marracash, Emis Killa, Jake La Furia, Geolier, Gemitaiz, Madman, Lazza, Tedua, Sfera Ebbasta, Guè, Simba La Rue, Rocco Hunt , Niko Pandetta, Fabri Fibra, Ernia and Rkomi are the names gathered by Baby Gang for its new album, which is entitled “L'angelo del male”.
Justice – “Hyperdrama”
Anticipated in recent weeks on social media, “Hyperdrama” is the new album by Justice, out next April 26th on Ed Banger Records. The French duo returns to the scene eight years after the previous “Woman”. The project was anticipated by some singles, including “One Night/All Night” (in collaboration with Tame Impala) and “Generator”.
