It is not often that we hear solo material from the Rome-based singer-songwriter and producer Luca Sapio, making every release feel like a proper celebration while also doubling the pressure on the artist to make every release memorable. Throughout his over-decade-long career, Sapio has worked with legends from all genres, mastered the art of collaboration, and established a recording studio and record label based in his beloved home of Rome. Yet, Sapio continues to push himself to new limits. This next challenge, though, might be the biggest of his career as the accomplished musician steps back into the solo spotlight for the first time since his 2014 sophomore effort with Black Waves. This 11-song outing attempts to express the full range of the human experience through empathetic songwriting delivered via soulful melodies.
Sapio has seemingly mastered the nostalgic soul craft and continues to prove this prowess across Black Waves; however, the real challenge for the artist lies in the daring concept of the LP. Sometimes, emotions are so palpable and deeply rooted in one’s soul that a person is left speechless under the weight of their feelings. Sapio is attempting to take these breathless, wordless moments and spin them into a memorable LP that doubles as a triumphant return from a young veteran. On paper, the task is daunting, but miraculously, Sapio condenses the complexity of the human experience into a consistent yet sprawling effort, featuring soaring jazz and dark themes.
Throughout Black Waves, we hear Sapio tackle issues of race, equality (or the lack thereof), and his vision for a more unified world. Lyrically, this is a no-nonsense soul LP that digs through the norms of society and sprinkles wisdom onto the parts he finds unacceptable, and there is no mistaking Sapio’s takes on Black Waves. The title track itself addresses race relations and systemic oppression over a funk-infused arrangement. At the same time, “Daughters of Darkness” paints a bleak image of our future if no changes are made. Fearlessly, Sapio confronts these harsh realities, but this is not an album meant to capitalize on the world’s social unrest. The artist’s empathy and hope are palpable across Black Waves, and it isn’t all about shining a light on hard-to-discuss topics.
Sapio weaves moments of peace and solace into his latest work, all while maintaining the integrity of the cinematic arrangements that define Dark Waves. A moment like “Right Love Wrong Time” is a whimsical jazz outing blended with heartbreaking longing and nostalgic soul. At the same time, “Paradise Is A State of Mind” finds our hero in between the devil and bliss as the blaring horns and lovely backing vocals pull Sapio to the side of light. Therein lies the magic of Black Waves. While the sweeping arrangements lean on nostalgia’s shoulder to find their personality, Sapio makes up for it as a songwriter. Black Waves is a complex yet digestible piece of soul that puts a blinding light on the wrongs of society while simultaneously providing the hope we all need to hear.
