MEntering the street it’s chaostaxis cannot be found and scooters cut feet, the good news is that from today there is a tonic of Drusilla Foer’s first album, DRU. Produced by Best Sound and published by BMG (also on vinyl and maxi CD), it is a tonic even if within it there are themes such as violence against women, a fair amount of pain and a lot of love lost, sought, falsely rejected. Distributed in 13 tracks – of which 12 unreleased – written by giant authors including Pino Donaggio, Maurizio Piccoli, Mariella Nava, Mogol, Giovanni Caccamo. And the young Ditonellapiaga and Fabio Ilacqua.
The result of a long work lasting three years, interrupted then resumed, DRU it is a fair balance between the soul “tending towards melancholy, pallosetto, al pipponaggio» by Drusilla (she summarizes the presentation that took place at Blue Note of Milan) with the order of Franco Godi, Foer’s producer and manager (and artistic director of the album). The dream of a character who describes himself as “a multitude”, and who has magically managed to create a cohesive, brilliant and moving work, a little dance, a little recital, very vintage, painful, light and full of sentences to write on Forgetful.
Drusilla Foer and the dream of an album of her own
But also a brazenly civil job. A word often cited as desire but never really applied, much less for the concept of an album (as if we had remained stuck at the busy Seventies). Yet this concept which «resembles a lot the idea of furniture» was a «very serious» thing, says Drusilla. No ogling towards modern sounds, not out of snobbery but because the criterion of choice was only that of the music that they like, which makes them vibrate in unison.
«On this album there are only the things that interest me», in short. Which also means «seeing people shaking on one of my songs», that is, on I want more released in June: time last track of DRU written by Diotonellapiaga and sung in tandem with Asia Argento. A duo born out of the desire to represent something not reassuring, and in this sense who better than Asia as a sidekick: «A woman with many tears – says Drusilla – with whom I made a crazy escape, because what interested me was the margin of error. You piss off a lot of people, me too, so it’s natural to form a common front against ‘an increasingly evil world that the more it growls at me, the more I spill wine’.”
The cover of DRU. (BMG)
Before the dancefloor, however, there are several equally notable things about DRU. Time doesn’t exist of Caccamo, Quagliato, Salomone and Zanotti it’s a lithe soliloquy about memories and bitterness, on the snatches of the years. With Mariella Nava and This way the theme of prejudice (one of Foer’s worries) and what the truth is is addressed. The text has all the surgical precision typical of Nava; while Drusilla’s anger manages to bring him to effective points of revolt.
«Going to Sanremo? I would go with it Thanatosis»
From the past comes the beautiful Goodnight Rossana (Luttazzi) by Lelio Luttazzi, a gift from his ex-wife and performed on a 2008 recording by the maestro. A message of dreams and imagination. And, if necessary, confirmation of the importance of the sea, symbol of everything, it is dangerous to stay away from it (said Anna Maria Ortese).
Is there a song of these 13 that Drusilla would bring to Sanremo? Yes, Thanatosiswhich means the simulation of death of some animals in case of danger. Written by Fabio Ilacqua (author for Mina, Celentano, Vanoni, Mengoni), talks about violence against women starting with the Lady who looks like Ivano Fossati, and then move on to ambient style atmospheres on a bed of violins and percussion.
The scepter of the best, Thanatosishe disputes it with the invocation of Don’t talk to me about love of Tricarico. «I promised myself not to sing love songs, and yet here I am», but long live this breaking of precepts, because the song is a beautiful, ironic – and touching – misdirection. Let’s pretend that we know nothing about love, that we don’t want to know anything more, that we think about gin and tonic and travel, about minutiae like meat or salad for dinnerand then, yes, come on, “maybe talk to me again about love.”
You can then hear echoes of Vanoni in Love… Boh!, entertainment Brazilian paired with Franco Godi. Echoes from night in Moon Champagne. And if Alice sang Pasolini, Foer sets it to music Day in Urlapicchio by Fosco Maraini, anthropologist and writer (father of Dacia).
Obviously, Drusilla is not Mina, but you don’t need exceptional range to give emotions. «A great singer who I don’t want to mention – recalls the Lady – he told me it’s one bischerata sing well, just think about what you say, and it’s true. For me the whole value of a song lies in the narrative.”
After the success of Sanremo in 2022followed byAlmanac the following day on Rai 2 and his constant presence in the theater (he debuted in January with the musical prose piece Enemy Venus), DRU is a further piece in Drusilla’s artistic construction.
Welcomed first by the web and then by traditional media with great affection, as she herself says, surprising herself, the Lady with the invented biography who will also be in the next season of Everything asks for salvation on Netflix, he has the gift of artificial creatures, that is, appearing more real and radical than any certificate of authenticity. Therefore, listen very carefully, especially from women, to whom you should not mention the alias Giorgio Gori. And in terms of sincerity, this album isn’t lacking either.
Blue Note in Milan: Drusilla Foer concerts in December
Drusilla will present DRU on 7, 8, 9 December at the Blue Note. 6 live performances accompanied by a band of six musicians and three backing singers, the Blue Doll’s (pre-sales from Monday 9 October both Ticketone).
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