5 out of 5

Label: Africantape

Produced by: David Lenci (recorded and mixed by)

Three Second Kiss’ Sergio Carlini, Africantape (and later Computer Students) label founder Julien Fernandez, and keyboardist Giovanni Fiderio combine for a seeming very short-lived run – one album, this single – and make me reconsider the value of one-sided 7″s.

Because I could listen to this thing over and over, and might do just that except for the song also being available on the mentioned album. But I sort of get the case for it, here, because said album exists on another label, and Fernandez can use the cachet of Africantape to point me in the other label’s direction. (Of course, had I been following that label, the reverse couldn’t be said, since, in that scenario, I can’t imagine a benefit beyond collecting to picking this up.)

Setting that aside, I was here first, and amazed at the lost musical child of something between the arty looseness of Storm & Stress and the precision of Don Cab’s American Don, both minused a bit of music theory elitism that can hang over those listens. Allowing ‘Ancora Nessun Messagero’ to have the emotive ebb and flow of the former, the tight instrumentation of the latter, but then boost both up with some more accessible melody, brought forth by Julien’s drumming, Carlini’s playful use of hooks, and Fiderio’s darting keys, which bubble at in just the right amounts.

A combatively normal bit of cover photography seals the deal.