La Comitiva＜限定盤＞

A Norwegian expat living in Siracusa, Italy, Erlend Oye is well-traveled, both musically and geographically. He has had a collaborative, global mindset since the start of his career; his debut solo album was intentionally recorded in ten different cities ranging from New York to Helsinki and Berlin. His 2014 follow-up, the charming Legao, was made in Iceland with a local reggae group, and during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, he recorded a surprise album in a Mexican hotel room. While the early part of Oyes career seemed to bounce between the acoustic indie pop of his band Kings of Convenience and the European electronic scene, his latter-day work leans more heavily into international sounds, particularly South American and Italian. La Comitiva is the name of his Italian group, formed over several years amid jam sessions in Sicilian piazzas and subsequent tours. They have also recorded an album together. La Comitiva -- an old Italian term that loosely translates to "gang" -- is a direct reflection of Oyes lifestyle and recent travels. Its 13 songs run the gamut from bossa nova and jazz to film music, folk, and delicate chamber pop. Opener "Matrimonio di Ruggiero" is a convivial bossa nova sung in Italian against lush woodwinds and plucked ukulele, Oyes primary instrument on this record. The core la Comitiva band consists of Sicilian musicians Marco Castello, Luigi Orofino, and Stefano Ortisi, who play various guitars and stringed instruments including a Portuguese cavaquinho. The gorgeous "Paradiso," also sung in Italian, is a classic Oye melody with a wistful lilt and deft chamber arrangements. After the sweet jazz-folk of "You and Only You," the albums midsection is largely instrumental. "For the Time Being" dates back 20 years and has been refashioned from its electronic roots into a strummed folk song to complement the rest. Only "Lockdown Blues," with its very date-specific lyrics, feels out of step with the rest of this otherwise timeless set. In all, La Comitiva is an airy delight and interesting evolution of Oyes ongoing musical journey. ~ Timothy Monger