‘Lost in Translation’ is the fourth album from Argentine guitarist and singer-songwriter, Daniel De Vita. Heavily influenced by roots and blues, Daniel has crafted an excellent album of (mostly) original material. Drawing on his skills as a lead guitarist and bandleader, he has assembled a group of musicians to record a fiery collection of tunes, which weave sinuously from rock ’n’ roll and funk, to blues-rock and soul.
Daniel De Vita is no stranger to the European blues community. Since releasing his debut album in 2015, De Vita has sold out numerous venues, recently hitting the road in 2019 for a 15-date tour that included several
shows in Eastern Europe.
‘Lost in Translation’ shows De Vita at his most contemporary yet. Recorded live in a one-day session, with only vocal overdubs, this album showcases a band that has truly gelled, each performer contributing their own style. This is an album packed full of delicious grooves and tasty hooks; giving you a flavour of De Vita’s influences while touching on some interesting subject matter.
Opening track ‘Every time I’m Close to You’ – a De Vita original – is built on the idiosyncratic cross-rhythms between Cabiaglia’s drums and De Vita’s guitar. The funky bass line of D’Andrea adds an element of disco, while the track is deftly glued together with organ and harp.
“It was an important challenge to write my own songs, the lyrics of each song were the most difficult thing,” admits De Vita. “Due to the fact I am not a native English speaker, my brain has to adapt to think and work differently.” One might say this disjointed aspect of his vocal performance filters into the songwriting, giving the music an usual but engaging edge.
The album continues with the swampy groove of ‘My Sweetest Regret’. De Vita’s vocals are reflective and bluesy, a cool, chicken-pickin’ style guitar solo complimenting the track. Following this is psychedelic, ‘70s rock ballad ‘Sand Between Your fingers’, the Moog synth swirling around crunchy lead guitar and De Vita’s vocals as the track builds to a frenetic climax.
“Perhaps in the past I would have chosen to try to imitate musicians like BB King, Albert King or Jimmie Vaughan, but with this album I wanted to mix it up a bit,” adds De Vita. This blend of styles is neatly demonstrated on the first of the two covers — the catchy ostinato-themed tune from Bueno Vista Social Club, ‘Black Chicken 37’. Here De Vita’s version takes on a more Metersstyle groove, blending Latin American and Louisiana vibes.
‘She Claps on the 1 & 3’ is a tongue in cheek shuffle, and the most traditional sounding track, featuring barrel house piano from Raffetta, and some mean harp blowing from Nicolás Smoljan. De Vita’s experience as a sound engineer shines through on this album — he’s able to evoke different eras across the individual tracks, while maintaining a cohesive arc across the album. ‘6 Years Blues’ will certainly appeal to the more traditional blues listener.
A Stormy Monday-esque track that pays homage to the likes of Freddy King. We head back to New Orleans for the Second-Line beat of ‘California Rocket Fuel’ — referring to a famous drug cocktail — De Vita driving home its powerful message on mental health and the use of psychiatric medication. The album closes with the Vaughan Brothers instrumental, ‘D/FW’. A bouncing rocker with some inspirational guitar soloing, backed by Raffetta’s reedy organ sound.
This is a fresh and vibrant blues album from a unique artist. Daniel De Vita might not be a household name, but this album certainly puts his songwriting and use of blues language up there with the best. His songs cover themes such as love, heartbreak, human bonding and mental illness, framing his lyrics with some interesting and unexpected arrangements.
