Hands and Feet

João Orecchia's debut, Hands and Feet, is an interesting slab of electro-pop, though it lacks a bit of feeling or whomp to be memorable. Orecchia's music is dancefloor-friendly but intelligent and multi-layered. It's also quirky, yet a tad predictable, inventive but contrived-sounding. The album is bookended by recordings of Orecchia's father, Giovanni, singing Italian ballads straight to vinyl. On "When I Fall in Love," the opener, João adds electronics and develops the original recording (in bad shape) into a new song toward the end. The album finale, "Arrivaderci Roma," is left untouched, vinyl crackles and all, its antiquated quality providing a stark contrast to the modern electronic nature of everything that preceded it. Highlights include "Midnight Serenade," "Beginnings," and "Seven Thieves," all strong compositions somewhat reminiscent of Baja. Also worth noting is "All Opera," featuring Anticon MC Serengeti. There are various other guests on Hands and Feet, most of them musicians, but they simply add colors to the overall instrumentation without changing the direction of the music, for this CD is a one-man band affair. ~ François Couture, Rovi