by Jess Makler (unslump.substack.com)
Former flat neighbors Nina Cristante and Sam Fenton are back with an exciting arc in their collaboration with Jezmi Tarik Fehmi as bar italia. Their fifth album in five years is filled with eye-widening texture, crisp production and new narratives - evoking Sonic Youth, no wave skepticism and the aura of vintage film.
Inspired by the 1959 movie of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe, Some Like It Hot ushers in a new era for the band following a chaotic worldwide tour where the group honed their musicality, production and art-punk sound.
While earlier releases Tracey Denim and The Twits boasted a scrappy, “just rolled out of bed” carelessness and punk attitude, SLIH embraces a substantially more groomed approach. “I’d rather be known as boring than mysterious right now,” singer-guitarist Jezmi Fehmi told the Guardian on their new sound. “It was fine for a while but it’s got to the point where everything that’s written about us is caveated with the word ‘mysterious’.”
The new tracks are anything but boring: the band trades guitar fuzz for clean vocals and cleaner indie rock motifs, all without sacrificing their unique ability to create a project that echoes their evolution as a band. Standouts on the album include “Cowbella,” a Pixies-esque call and response track that sounds like it would be right at home in an episode of the indie sleaze Skins. “I Make My Own Dust” is an unpredictable gothic exploration of ownership a la early Sonic Youth. “Borrowed, stolen, from someone, anyone,” Nina chants, vocals turning into animalistic howling. “Eyepatch” is a raucous, jumpable track with an infectious meandering bassline.
Bar Italia is delightfully memorable in their live performance as they tour the album - Fehmi wears a tie and button down, looking like he’s fresh off a long day at the office. Cristante’s vocals bounce around as much as she does. The duo’s camaraderie is infectious.
Some Like It Hot isn’t a departure for Bar Italia, but a rebirth. It marks a new path forward for the band, a nod to acts that have come before them, and a look forward to what comes next.