Santoianni proves once again with a new album, It all sounds badof being one of the highest quality songwriters, both musically and lyrically, in our country.
A record that seeks reflection, the exchange of ideas, the discussion on issues related to society and international politics. A work which, paradoxically, sounds almost like a novelty in the contemporary Italian recording scene, often oriented towards safer paths: the story of love, lightness, consolation.
It all sounds bad it's a rich and layered album, full of points and ideas to remember: it doesn't take you by the hand, it puts you in front of things. And, above all, it invites you to analyze the world with a different gaze from yours, without ever slipping into the banal.
To our microphones, Santoianni it recounts every facet of the project, delving into the depths of human relationships – which have less and less impact – and social ones, which risk overtaking the truly social ones.
Santoianni: video interview on the new album “Suonatuttomale”
Why “Suonatuttomale”?
“I liked the idea of playing on my craft, on sound, on music, to try to photograph everything that sounds bad looking out the window. And today I think I can say that it all sounds really bad.
I closed the album on April 25th, an important day, and I wrote this sentence which then became the title of the album. I feel like I do things my way, I always try to express myself sincerely, in a frank and honest way. What interests me is that in my songs there is a connection between me as a person and me as a songwriter.
It took me a while to reach this meeting point between the two natures of my personality. I think my way is recognizable above all in the choice of words and in the way I say what I think.”
“Does music have to stay light?”
Santoianni it also addresses one of the most divisive topics: the relationship between music and politics.
“I grew up with music that gave me tools to understand reality. I made a pact with myself and with what I like. I know that there are those out there who think that music should only be fun and comforting, but I am convinced that there are many people who are tired of this.
I don't have the truth in my pocket, I only express my opinion. But I think the role of politics in music is important, because it can be important for people.”
Bad Bunny, the SuperBowl and Italy
The comparison also extends to the international scene.
“I don't think that in Italy we have reached that level of rupture between before and after as Bad Bunny did. There are artists like Ghali who try to embody certain messages.
Our country must find people who will take on these responsibilities and these risks. I, as a listener, feel the need for it. But I don't see many of them around.”
The relationship with the United States
The album opens and closes with a reference to the United States, but the connection is not personal.
“I grew up in a family where my grandfather told me history in an incredible, poetic way. And the history of the last century is inextricably linked to the United States.
This is a record about the outside. I deconstructed the idea of the West that we idealized when talking about the USA, almost putting myself in the shoes of a terrorist. It was the most complicated thing on the album.”
Inspire, open a debate
“I hope that those who listen to it do even just a little reasoning on the issues it contains. I put my all into it, without superstructures. If I could even just open a debate, it would be important.”
The unfinished song and the live
A song is missing from the album, or rather: it hasn't been completed yet.
“There is a song that I wasn't able to finish. It talks about the end of the world in a positive sense. The first 100 copies of the vinyl still allow you to listen to it with a digital code, even if it's not finished.
If I finish it, I'll play it live. Playing live is the most important dimension for a singer-songwriter. In my case, in addition to music, I also read lyrics: it broadens my vision beyond the songs.”
It all sounds bad Of Santoianni it's a record that doesn't look for shortcuts: it doesn't console, it doesn't sweeten. Question. And perhaps, today, this is precisely its greatest value.
