KOKO MOON - Let The Wild Run At Night

Night isn't made for making final decisions, but for offering counsel; it's synonymous with transformation and moving forward into the new. Koko Moon, aka Costanza Delle Rose, former member of Be Forest, knows this well: her brief and minimal solo debut (as Koko) "Shedding Skin" (2021) was a process of nocturnal catharsis that left us with an open ending, awaiting a new chapter. After the singles "UFO" and "Sleep Demons" released in 2023, it's night once again (strictly Lynchian) on "Let The Wild Run At Night". The musician from Pesaro composed and produced her sophomore effort together with Tobia Poltronieri (C+C=Maxigross) and has decided to return to Italy after a long adventure in London.

The dark soundscapes are built from dreamy pop, electronics, and shoegaze echoes and reverbs, with a focus on bass and synths, details that help lend the record a cinematic style, one in which the protagonist moves between echoes of Blonde Redhead, the psychedelic pop of Forever Dolphin Love by Connan Mockasin, "All Of Us Flames" by Ezra Furman, the alt-folk of Big Thief, as well as the chiaroscuro typical of the soundtracks of David Lynch's films, while the tracks are thematically connected by a subtle common thread: not having to constantly justify one's choices and one's very existence to the world.

The interference and intrusive thoughts of "Sirio A" immediately introduce something new, as it's the first of two tracks on the record sung in Italian by Koko, and it sets the pace for the first half of the album, which, particularly with the following pair of tracks, explores disorientation and an identity whose contours remain blurred.

What follows is the solid bassline of “Little Planet”, among the standout moments of the record, while “City Of Wonders” conjures the image of the artist performing on the stage of the Bang Bang Bar from “Twin Peaks” in the guise of Julee Cruise. “Love Me” is a face-off with the mirror that initially evokes faint echoes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, before veering into near-tribal rhythms towards the close, giving way to the delicate folk piece “Red Car”.

I can let myself just be

I don’t have to fix everything

And I can still find peace in the wild of secret things

Opening the second half are the oriental vibes of “Sirio B”, where the artist's voice intertwines with that of Marta Del Grandi, layering over swelling synths and dominating the drum textures in the background, while “Wild Heart” sounds like it stepped straight out of the “Fire Walk With Me” soundtrack, its intro carrying hints of Siouxsie & The Banshees. “Feel Everything” is a statement of intent, crying out the need to feel every single sentiment and emotion, amid seductive sax hisses and à-la PJ Harvey flourishes; it's followed by the second track with Italian lyrics, “Croste”, which slides towards memories of Ex:Re, the project of Elena Tonra (Daughter).

The open-ended conclusion is entrusted to the dreamlike imagery of “What Am I Looking For?”, a symbol and a point of (re)departure for an endless, aimless search, torn between fear of the unknown and the urge to keep moving. There are no concrete answers, then, on “Let The Wild Run At Night”, but new horizons, spaces already won and still to be won, in which we can be ourselves, make mistakes, without fear of our own fragility or difference, embracing our most sensitive and instinctive side as untameable creatures.

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09/04/2026