Released: 25 June 2021
Jack Savoretti takes a musical voyage through his childhood summers on ‘Europiana’ – his most accomplished offering to date.
The record follows 2019’s ‘Singing to Strangers’, which saw the multi-instrumentalist team up with Bob Dylan on their co-write Touchy Situation and collaborate with Kylie Minogue on the single Music’s Too Sad Without You.
While that LP – Jack’s first No. 1 in the UK – explored his roles as a family man and an entertainer on the road, ‘Europiana’ goes back further to his youth in mainland Europe.
Lead single, the Nile Rodgers-produced Who’s Hurting Who, showcases the singer-songwriter’s signature raspy vocals over disco-infused beats.
It’s a sound that features throughout the collection, touching on Jack’s love of 1970s Italian disco music and the sounds that shaped his musical instincts through his career today.
“’Europiana’ isn’t a sound. It’s references and inspirations and the emotions they evoke,” explains Jack. “It’s the music of my childhood summers, remade for today.”
The inspiration is clear from the start; Secret Life, with its infectious beats and sweeping synths, laments the freedom of anonymity, while Dancing in the Living Room deals with life’s simple pleasures over a Chic-esque bassline.
Most impressive about ‘Europiana’ is its narrative; reflective opener I Remember Us incorporates the chants of a children’s choir, and the album closes with a full circle moment on War of Words, blending the young vocals with Jack’s mature tone.
“A war of words is not the answer / To all the questions that we ask / It’s a tale as old as time / Maybe love is still the answer / To all our lives that just go by too fast / Let the past be in the past,” they sing.
‘Europiana’ is more than an album; it’s a snapshot of a moment in time, perfectly preserved in words and music, capturing the youth and early loves of one of Britain’s premier musicians.
‘Europiana’ is out on CD and Vinyl. Signed CD copies are also available.
