Franco Franco - Solo Fiori (2022)

Collection of lyrics from 2018 till 2022. Screening of tailored common life scenarios projected from the tiny room of one's brain. Average condition. Rollerflatter sum of the ups and downs usual for days like days. General upsets, syllables exercise, romantic doom, flipped moods, enemy in the mirror type beat.

Solo Fiori (Only Flowers) is the new album from Naples-born-Prato-raised (and now Bristol based) MC Franco Franco in collaboration with O$VMV$M on production. Known for his previous outings as 1/2 of cyborg industrial rap duo Kinlaw & Franco Franco, this album sees him take a more introspective and confessional approach, touching on the mundanities of everyday life, conscience, relationships, solitude.

Eye don't see, heart don't grieve. I'd talk to the shadow if there was sunshine. Macumba on a colourless alphabet, erase the letters of my name.

These, are the notes of melancholy man. Chronic. Man. Man is a madhouse. Is a logical factor, weather, chrono, age. Advancement of ETA, estimated time of arrival. Where you go and when you get there, if you get there. Paranoia in the head, you're fine. Cecco Della Tower, you already know how it goes… Taken bad always.

There are moments of light & tenderness too though - see Lorenzo Prati channelling climactic 80s NY subway sax solo on ‘Break Up Banquet’ and O$VMV$M's instrumentals often dissolve into semi euphoric B / outro section meltdowns, with english phrases appearing and vanishing away as a narrative anchor for non-italian speakers.

The album ends on a hopeful tone with an instrumental bliss out (again featuring sax workout from Lorenzo Prati) maybe serving as a reminder to find the moments of peace in the gaps between, a ray of sunlight on the Skype call or a cigarette on the walk home from work.

Best oh! climbed up on Perretto Park,
green basin the bench is only island in the fresh mud,
peace oh! the view on BS there is of christ,
two splash required and I have fins on concrete, then the abyss.

Look, the view here is ten but standing still it freezes
Viky P glimpse and lights at suspended bridge relax,
the exoskeleton comes off and along comes the apathy with the shovel, skin disliked, falls.