The message is clear: there’s a whole blanket of cultural, artistic and musical tradition in Europe that is rarely cherished nor even considered most of the time when depicting a global picture of European art. Until Jack Savoretti’s latest record “Europiana”
Jack is a true European artist not only because of his Italian descent but also for the fact that European artists shaped his own artistry.
“There should be a genre called Europiana just like there’s Americana in the States.” He states confidently and who could blame him?
“European music in the 60s and 70s fueled the creation of a very specific sound that incorporated funk, electronica, rock and pop in a way that no other region was able to match. Think about disco and funk in America, for instance. You had some of the most unique rhythmic and musical elements, no doubt. But from a lyrical standpoint, only European artists were able to match the edginess of the music with the lyrics.
I mean, In Italy we had Raffaella Carra who sang about sexual freedom and independence over a disco beat and Patty Pravo who would suggest all kinds of sexual and provocative scenarios while enchanting the listener with her melodies.”
Jack is on a mission to channel in his work “the music of my childhood summers.”
“Just picture yourself in Italy riding a Vespa through the southern coasts and you will have an immediate grasp of what this record is all about!’ He suggests.
The seventh full-length from Savoretti, Europiana serves as the follow-up to his gold-certified album Singing to Strangers: a 2019 release that marked his first #1 on the UK album chart and earned praise from such outlets as The Telegraph (who hailed its “heady love songs mixing lush orchestrations with a tight, electric band”).
None of Jack’s artistic moves are random. Just like for his previous record ‘Singing To Strangers’ which was recorded at Maestro Ennio Morricone’s Italian studio, Europiana was recorded at legendary Abbey Road. In only ten days.
One of the first singles “Who’s Hurting Who” arrives as a gloriously upbeat piece of soul-pop, perfectly showcasing Savoretti’s alluring vocal presence. With its dance-ready grooves, glistening guitar riffs, and lavish string arrangements, the song fully embodies the elegant escapism of Europiana.
Songs like “Too Much History’ and irresistible new single, “Who’s Hurting Who” — a disco-fueled pop track which features the legendary Nile Rodgers and was co-produced by Rodgers and Mark Ralph (Tove Lo, MARINA), are here to remind the listener how “Europiana goes even further than Singing To Strangers: I’m not writing about me anymore. There are more characters and bigger concepts. I’m looking out at the world, not inwards.”
Jack appropriately shot the cover of Europiana in Positano, one of the most beautiful Italian villages so even the visuals can match the sentiment of the music. So if you ever find yourself over there, or anywhere in Europe, sit down and listen to Europiana. You’ll have a more fulfilling time. Guaranteed.
