Until now, London band Bar Italia have been somewhat shrouded in mystery. With their minimalist post-punk aesthetic and elusive online presence, the trio – Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton – have made their name on the alternative music scene but have shared little biographical information so far.
Before joining the band, Cristante brought out a number of lo-fi pop songs under the alias Nina, while Fehmi and Fenton released a grunge-inspired EP under the name Double Virgo. Together, Bar Italia produce a sound that harks back to experimental 90s rock, as on the compellingly raw Nurse!. Their latest single, punkt, divides its three verses among each member and showcases the band’s core sound of unpolished, emotive vocals and scratchy instrumentals.
Both songs appear on Bar Italia’s newly released debut album, Tracey Denim, which revolves around themes of troubled identity and unstable relationships, expressing the existential angst of stumbling through the world without a sense of belonging. “Give up your dreams and come this way, you don’t belong where you are,” sings Cristante on the hypnotic Missus Morality. Despite the band’s best efforts to shun the spotlight, it looks like their time in darkness may soon come to an end.
Tracey Denim is out on Matador. Bar Italia are currently touring the UK
