BLACK EYED DOG - Love Is A Dog From Hell

It always takes a touch of courage to tackle a musical expression as intimate as folk, partly because the bare-bones instrumentation forces you to lay your emotions even more naked in order to produce convincing songs, and partly because of the comparison with artists of the past (but also of the present) who have already created masterpieces that are tough to measure up to.

Even more so when the one attempting it is an Italian who doesn't have the great references of the British or American folk tradition rooted in his country's musical heritage.

Fabio Parrinello, however, had no qualms of any kind; born in Varese in '79, after traveling, studying and playing in America and London, and having adopted the stage name Black Eyed Dog (a Nick Drake track, you'll understand why...), he now releases his debut album titled "Love Is A Dog From Hell".

On the record you can recognize Fabio's guiding lights, as well as a coexistence/blend of both American and British styles: there's a murder ballad that mixes Waits and Cave ("Ballad Of Destruction"), there are sorrowful songs set in silence in the style of Songs:Ohia or Will Oldham, bare and anguished country-folk à la Richard Buckner, and invocations paying homage to “Pink Moon” ("Careless").

Let's not undersell, though, with the usual references, the fantastic work Fabio has created, whose truly remarkable voice manages to deliver intense emotions. Just listen to the piano-only arrangement on "Blue Eyed Girl", the delicate duets of female voice and acoustic guitar on "Lu & Me", and then arrive at that gem "Selma Before Me", where the three elements (piano, acoustic guitar and voices) merge to create a ballad that a Damien Rice would play as a winning single. And he'd be right to.

You can perhaps skip the carousel of "Diazepam For Robin Hood", but come back to linger over the arpeggios and whispers of "Cruising", the childlike sweetness of "Broken Wing" or the harmonica of "No Name #7", with rain pouring in the background, all the way to the French-language closer "Enfant de la nuit". If you manage to listen to it with your heart, free of any prejudice, you won't be disappointed.

In the end, "Love Is a Dog From Hell" only runs a few minutes, but it feels much longer - not out of boredom, but because of the intensity Parrinello manages to pour into his songs, thanks to his expressive voice and his knack for crafting music that's both essential and multifaceted.

An excellent debut that anyone who loves this genre should check out, if only to reward this 28-year-old Italian artist for a work that's simple but full of passion.

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04/06/2007