Franc Cinelli has been on an interesting journey since our paths last crossed, including making albums of a more ambient, soundscaping nature and music for film, but I catch up with him as he returns to the sound that I most associate him with: an honest, spacious, and relatable blend of rootsy acoustica.
Originally from Rome, he has called London home for many years, and his music has always had a sense of place; it often feels autobiographical, with relatable songs that trace a personal trail across geographies and genres, reading like fragmented chapters and small insights into his own life.
Take a song like ‘Mudlarking,’ a gentle cascade of notes tumbling out of his acoustic guitar as he sees the obvious metaphor in watching the titular shoreline treasure hunters, their own quests seeming to echo the way he has lived his own life, one of exploration and adventure, looking for that elusive prize.
The song also gets to the heart of his approach on the album and the rules he set for himself when recording Folk Kitchen – one fingerpicked acoustic guitar per song, recorded as live where possible, some additional slide playing but essentially looking to produce the most intimate and atmospheric vibe possible. And he certainly does.
‘Follow Your Star’ is lush and cinematic, even given his self-imposed sonic limits; ‘Road Not Taken’ is folky and finessed, with gorgeously ornate notes arrayed majestically as he celebrates the act of going his own way; and ‘Waves’, by contrast, revels in the joy that other people, friendship, and community bring.
Franc Cinelli is a troubadour in the truest sense, a dealer in songs that speak to us, head, heart and soul, an explorer of what it means to be human, to love and live and travel far and tell tales of what you found there, an entertainer and informer, a man versed in song and sentiment, someone not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Today’s world is a dark place; we’ve never needed shining lights like Franc Cinelli more.
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