As a result, this is now an almost completely rock record, full of Stratocasters and staccato drumming, yet still very much their own creation. It's a soundtrack to static on a TV screen, a "Now loading…" warning on a website, the turn of a page of a newspaper: it's informed by current events yet detached from them, looking through an inquisitive but critical eye. As they note in their Italian-only liner notes, this is a record for the time between the nineties and the new century, bridging disparate events while at the same time being informed by tradition.

The rock credentials of the record are of the highest caliber: "Libero" has a riff right out of the U2 handbook; "Il tempo che mi basta" harkens to "A Horse with No Name," while "Tammurre" reminds one of Michael Nyman's more rock-oriented works. Still, a song like "Mmienz' a mmare" (which they had also covered on "Terra Arsa") is proof that this is a band that still works within the realm of traditional music - even if that tradition extends to Northern American or Irish rock bands. "Me saziu mai," another from the Salentino canon, receives subtle but substantial modern improvisations, creating in the process a truly captivating mix of a funky drum rhythm and a mandolin before a sax solo that is as fitting as it is unforeseen.

La Corsa is a record that balances on a thin line but lands on the right side. The new songs are interesting and memorable, while the traditional ones sound refreshed, poignant and provide a timeless commentary on our times. Radicanto has taken a crash course that lets them remain one of the most interesting Italian bands around. - Nondas Kitsos