Humpty Dumpty Music

An obscure and somewhat reclusive figure in Italy’s underground scene,

Alessandro Calzavara (the singer-songwriter behind the moniker Humpty

Dumpty) has been freely recording and distributing music on the web

for about ten years now, but the concise “A mile from any neighbor”

may be his most brilliant and focused effort yet. Clocking in at less

than 15 minutes, the record manages to pay homage to a wealth of

musical and literary sources, while retaining a true sense of

originality and a subtle distrust of conventional songwriting. Robyn

Hitchcock, Julian Cope and Andy Partridge are obvious references here,

immersed in an intricate blend of post-punk, electronics and

psychedelia. Lyricist Renato Q. displays his trademark wit and

melancholy, offering a bunch of meditations on the invention of

solitude and the observation of nature (the title is borrowed from

Thoreau’s "Holden") and building catchy tunes around impossible

questions, such as: Are whales made of water? Do philosophers eat fish

and chips? Does God hide in berries?