Italian Artist Passes Through Nashville & Comes Out With Musical Magic

Every now and then I receive music that has taken a journey and the geographical boundaries are amazing. Luana Maso is one such artist. Luana is based in Italy yet, her CD was recorded in English in Nashville, TN, and mastered in London, England. Is it something the average American listener can get into and appreciate? Absolutely. Music is international — many of us already know this. Many great English-sung albums have been recorded in Europe and imported to America. The amazing thing is how well these artists interpret and produce their songs in…English.

Italian rocker Eugenio Finardi, who I’ve mentioned before in other reviews, released an incredible all-English rock album back in the 1980’s called “Secret Streets.” No accent. Just balls to the wall aggressive, literal rock. Several years later in Milan, Italy Finardi, now with a gruffer more mature Leonard Cohen type voice, recorded an all-English blues album and scored even better: “Anima Blues.” It charted in Texas!

Did American labels pick up on this great talent? Of course not. American labels are feeble at heart. But, to Finardi’s credit, he was a Warner Brothers artist for several years. They didn’t find it necessary or profitable to release his all-English-no accent rock album in America despite several American and English musicians having played with Eugenio.

The heartland has tons of great artists, Europe has thousands more and American labels? They’re looking for the next Taylor Swift – it’s the difference between Velveeta cheese and real Parmigiana cheese. Did you ever wonder why your Chicken Parm or Eggplant Parm is really made with cheap mozzarella and not parm? Because Parmigiana is expensive. Luana Maso – she’s got the flavor of Parmigiana in her music and it’s worth the trouble to taste it.

The last time an Italian female singer impressed me was jazz artist Daniella Nardi (“Espresso Manifesto”), and the very diversified and amazing Francesca Chiara (“Il Parco dei Sogni”) – both also sing in English and have American label deals – or they did at one time.

Which leads me to Luana Maso and her new 7-track, near half-hour all-English album “Down the Rabbit Hole.”

She’s one of the new crop of female vocalists — young, quite creative with a handful of impressive musicians who provide her stellar support. Will she crack the American market? It remains to be seen. The possibility is in her favor as far as I am concerned.

She has all the ingredients for success. Drawback? Yes. Maybe she is too good for today’s listening audience. Maybe she’s not commercial enough, not sweet enough, her hooks are not according to the standard by the book formula.

That’s right, I said too good.

The same reason most Americans prefer Dominoes and Pizza Hut over real pizza with fresh ingredients.

Ms. Maso’s opening is the title track: “Down the Rabbit Hole.” It comes up creeping like a little storm slow and steady. I think they call that a temporale in Italy. Luana’s voice is like a strong wind that comes in before the storm. The woodblock distant thunder stirs as the tune starts to boil like polenta. The song has a Euro-feel but like most Italian artists she knows how to mine something many artists don’t. Melody.

The song has an arrangement, structure, and a tasty persistent melody. And her potent voice lifts it all off from the start.“The only way out is dreaming a new dream, ‘cause Wonderland ain’t really what it seems…” This from a young woman? A little surreal but quite compelling. Nothing cliche or novelty about it. The entire tune is based on a fairy tale blended with a touch of how it can be applied to reality. Her young world reality and if so – the young world reality of many girls her same age.

The song segues beautifully into “Break the Line,” with its horse clops, the spare acoustic tingle of guitar and Luana’s crystal clear smooth voice. Ms. Maso continues her writing in a fairy tale-inspired manner – applied to reality. Quite a nice and inventive way to bring attention to subjects of importance without sounding too preachy. It’s simplistic in places but still poignant and creative: “We spend the day sharing jokes and laughter until we kiss again…” How easily relatable is that for a young couple? It’s almost Joni Mitchell and Melanie Safka in its hipness.

Luana’s voice is not commanding like Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick rock, not edgy punk-cum-poetry Patty Smith. It is closer to Joan Osbourne, Jewel, or Sarah McLaughlin – yet, because she lived a different life her Euro-melodic touches enhance and emboldens her musical approach. It’s fresh, dynamic and timed well for any aspiring female vocalists who dare to listen.

Track three is actually the great one: “Let the Rain,” has magic — however, it’s Ms. Maso’s vocal that is so colorful and inspiring throughout. Moments of brilliance similar to Alison Krauss’ young vocals at the onset of her career. Luana possesses a wiser than her years vocal. The arrangement continues to be good. Instruments are all well-balanced. “Let the rain come down in Dover, let it wash away all my thoughts of you – I will see you again when I’m older, If I ever get the nerve to come back…. yeah, I don’t know if I’ll ever come back.” Mature? You bet.

Then Luana goes on to remind her subject that “…I might need a 110 proof just to try to forget about you…” (No direct reference to alcohol – just a potent tease but we know what she means).

With “Legends,” Ms. Maso continues to vocalize in a more confident Sarah McLaughlin style but her lyrics are never Sarah — they are Luana Maso and that’s for certain. Of this song, Ms. Maso has said: “The song is about growing up with someone and then eventually losing that person along the way. Looking back on personal relationships that ended or changed over time we came up with the concept for the video which is about this boy and this girl who shared their childhood and later on parted ways.”

Bruce Springsteen attacked a similar edge with his “Growing Up.”

Song #5 opens with a clean acoustic piano. Ms. Maso’s voice still captivates with its smooth as silk tone. I understand every lyric she sings. “In Black ‘n White.” This is a beautiful ballad and I’m happy the CD contains a lyric booklet. Many artists who can’t write a serious lyric always include this bonus and the lyrics kill the song because they make little or no sense. Having the lyrics written by Luana is a benefit. Her lyrics are poignant and clever. But this is typical of Italian songwriting. I believe Italian musicians believe the words are as important as the melody.

Many Italian songwriters, Finardi included (“Hostages” “War Seeds” “Secret Streets” “Musica Ribelle” & “Soldi”), and the late legendary Lucio Battisti (an Elton John type songwriter who existed before Elton and equally prolific). He had an English song released on RCA — “The Only Thing I’ve Lost Is You” and it was wonderful. Franco Battiato (“Chanson Egocentrque”) – as well, is a super clever wordsmith. Their best is in Italian – but, if only the Italian could be translated accurately into English these writers would be considered some of the greatest and cleverest songwriters.

Luana Maso has her moments of extraordinary effort on her all-English collection.“Will You Remember Me,” written with Andrea DeNardi is one of the best — her consistency of quality is evident in these songs. Again, with her pristine Alison Krauss type lilting vocal she provides a memorably sung song.

Harry Burr plays the drums, Anthony Lavdanski is the bass and upright bass. Keith Duell provides keyboards, Caleb Lovely is the guitarist, Collin Pastore is all pedal steel and Andrea DeNardi adds mellotron and piano on “In Black ‘n White.” This is quite a musical team. Nice background vocal efforts also by Hardley Kennary who sings with Luana.

The final track “Whole Again,” is sung with conviction and purity and it’s stunning.

Luana proves she could sing gospel and her high notes are clear.“I ain’t living out of regret, ‘cause I know the best is yet to come…”  — “and if storm clouds above start rolling in all wrapped in a treacherous gray, you’ll know I’ll be outside.” There are times I believe country singers in America could learn a thing or two from a European lyricist. See the world as a painting, see the details, forget the rust on your damn pickup truck and the ice clinking in your whiskey. Lucinda Williams could sing this song and have an instant hit.

Luana’s final line is as strong and memorable as that classic Beatle line: “and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

When she writes the thought-provoking words: “I’ve lived enough to forget, that the hardest lesson is the one I haven’t learned yet.” 

If nothing else, this is one beautifully constructed, written and performed album. Seven songs were just not enough. The LP was produced, engineered and mixed by Jared Anderson. The exceptional art of a rabbit on a stopwatch – Alice In Wonderland inspired, was illustrated by Saul Freed (Bristol, England) and the art direction and design was by Luana herself. It’s a four-panel die-cut sleeve CD with a stitched lyric book with all the credits. Photography: Maurizio Maso and Jared Anderson.

She’s an Italian artist – so what? She sings in English better than most artists on the chart and she has Nashville’s blessing. Luana has style (check out her “Legends” video). Maybe she can teach the rest of those great artists how to take their God-given talent and sharpen it with inventive melodies and thought-provoking lyrics instead of age-old rehashes of tight shredded blue jeans, sweat-stained bandanas, beer for their horses, rusty pickups and heads in toilets.

Now that would be refreshing.

Website:  http://www.luanamaso.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luanamasomusic

Music Samples: https://soundcloud.com/luana-maso-music

Luana Maso: http://www.luanamaso.com/music/down-the-rabbit-hole/

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review/commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as a reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / October 2017