Backseat Mafia is honoured to premiere the new vibrant and cinematic single from Italian indie rockers The Ghibertins – a visceral and sinewy track that has an endless vista, wider than the sky, and is just as immersive and mesmerising. It’s an anthemic, emotional roller coaster that is bold and magnificent. A punchy and scything rhythm section provides a steely spine, a breakdown towards the end morphs the song into a pulse-quickening anthemic elegy, and Alessio Hoffman’s vocals are infused with a sense of yearning and regret. Hoffman says:
The song is the first single taken from our forthcoming concept album. It will feature one song for every decade of our fictional character’s life, from his birth (Intro), to his death (Outro). Every song will represent a precise feeling, felt by the protagonist in a precise moment. This track (30/40 years) represents the protagonist’s downfall. It’s an angry and disorienting descent towards abandonment that reaches its catharsis inside the “special”, written to resemble a requiem.
This is exemplified by the sound which is a mix of pulsating electronica with a thundering bass and guitars. The lyrics reveal a deep romanticism and a sense of poetic despair:
Well tonight, this street will be my bedroom
And my shame my only companion
Concrete on my face while my head is on fire
And I know I’ve stopped believing there’s no use to keep on trying
The words were born from an isolation madness felt by Hoffman while overseas and the title of the track inspired by the most surprising source:
While the band was working on the album, I went on a solo trip to Guangzhou, China. After a couple of weeks, I began to develop a certain sense of alienation. One evening I wanted to find the feelings I needed to feel in order to write the track that represents the fall of the main character, so I took a piece of paper, a pen and rushed through the streets of Taojin. Drink and drink again! This was the goal. Why ‘20149 – Milano’? The next day I found on my piece of paper, 20149 written obsessively over and over again. 20149; my home zip code.
The Ghibertins have the same sense of urgency and emotion as US band The Walkmen – while reflecting the authenticity and power of bands like The National and Editors. A combination of gritty rock with a Dylanesque storytelling power:
‘20149 – Milano’ is out on 15 April via Mob Sound Records and can be saved here. This is the first single of the forthcoming album ‘The Life & Death of John Doe’, due for release in 2022.
Una canzone fantastica di una band affascinante.
The Ghibertins are Alessio Hofmann, Lorenzo Rivabella, Lorenzo Di Blasi, Marco “Marva” Vaghi and Luca Losio.
