Nina Cristante, Sam Fenton, and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi have kept their listeners on their toes since their double-kill in 2023. bar italia’s Tracey Denim and The Twits were like brie and red wine; fantastic when served alone, but a delightful, harmonious blend of mild and zesty when consumed together. The band has mastered a skill which most modern musicians lack in the age of Tik-Tok music – being undefinable in their genre yet successfully maintaining an audience through their intriguing aura. Some Like It Hot might just be their defining moment, with reference to the 1959 movie starring Marilyn Monroe – it exhibits as a sensual yet classy record, balanced cautiously with a hint of joyful resonance that diverges from their usual monotone expressions.
‘Fundraiser’ was the second single released before the album, along with a music video tracking Peep Show’s beloved Matt King (AKA ‘Super Hans’) with a chaotic hand-held technique as he goes on a spontaneous wander. A stand-out track, broadening the band’s reach to new realms with a feature on Full Circle Studio’s highly anticipated game ‘Skate.’. The single preserves their pre-loved angst through lyricism, yet delivers a newfound optimistic instrumental from the band. Fenton bickers “I wrote your name with a can of spray, I wrecked your car trying to get away” contested by Cristante’s post-chorus quarrel “can’t even remember what you are like, so I try to picture you, you’re from the back”.
‘Cowbella’ was the introductory single for the album, showcasing bar italia’s evolution with its roaring guitar riffs and back-and-forth grandiose remarks. ‘rooster’ appreciates Cristante’s unique passive-aggressive intonation: her eccentric rasp displayed when she sings “the kind of smile you can’t resist” conveys a kind of mockery that would destroy any ego that seeks to disdain her. The song is completed by almost metal-sounding chorus which is on par with Nirvana’s Nevermind grunge.
‘Marble Arch’ is one to save for a mischievous cigarette in the park on a rainy day, with its adolescent tones of despair caressing you through your wired earphones. Balladry takes over, accompanied by a bittersweet strum that transforms their sorrows into an uplifting, meditative serenade.
‘bad reputation’ echoes the subdued accents of ‘Marble Arch’ with its post-modern-fifteenth century whimsy — an exquisitely placed track delving even deeper into the complexities of conflict and incongruity: “I can disappear completely, I can fade into the night, If that’s what you’d rather, Then I will oblige.”
‘I Make My Own Dust’ takes the trio back to vulgarity, with Fenton declaring “I’m not happy til’ they’ve lost their minds”, interjected by Fehmi’s brief, syllabic elocution: “it’s not that I’m unaware, it’s just that I do not care”. Cristante is complemented by sporadic guitar distortions as she gives us a classic pop-punk shriek: “borrowed, stolen from someone, anyone”.
Single ‘omni shambles’ is a fleeting two-minute occurrence but a comforting one. Released just two days before the album, it provides a perfect equilibrium between the endearing solitude and callousness in previous tracks: “I know you’ve been a nightmare, but I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying where I can see you”. ‘Eyepatch’ is another short addition to the record which makes the listener reminisce about playful instances of “truth or dare on the kitchen floor”. This track has a kind of ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ melody to it which can make the bleakest, most vulnerable inner turmoil sound invigorating.
The titular song ‘Some Like it Hot’ concludes the album with an unexpected turn; subtly, with no overt resentment or commotion. Piano tip-toes steadily into an autumnal folk-pop twang which circles back to themes of “regret” and tensions of uncertainty.
The album’s immense variety might still make you question how to might go about categorising its genre, but each track holds an individuality that bar italia have not achieved before. It’s safe to say that this London trio have not stooped far from their notable lyricism, maintaining that raw resemblance to human interaction with a play on he-said-she-said. Each single sneaks up on you, seamlessly threaded throughout the record; an organised chaos which undoubtedly grants the courageous breakthrough we’ve been waiting for.
