Back in the long-gone n’ lawless Allston days of the mid- to late-aughts, there was a DIY house party circuit called Club Fuxx that, for at least a short burst that felt like forever, was the hottest shit in the neighborhood. And the DJs would bump nothing but early-’90s dance-pop, house, and Euro-NRG, a stark contrast to the indie and electro soundtrack of the day.
We bring all this up nearly two decades later because “Picture Perfect,” the white-hot new single from Nuovo Testamento, would fit right in. The Los Angeles trio — who graced our 2023 Year in ReView on the sleek strength of Italo disco standout “Heartbeat” — dropped the blissful retro-pop dance track last week (June 10), and sets an animated beat for next month’s new EP Trouble, out July 25 via the trio’s own imprint Discoteca Italia.
“Picture Perfect” is a proper banger throwing it back to when clubbing was exciting, carefree, and fun, an intoxicating sonic cocktail of synth-pop and freestyle that showcases the vocal pull of Chelsey Crowley, who doesn’t sound out of place alongside the likes of Melanie Thornton and Karin Kasar. In Nuovo Testamento, Crowley is rounded out by Giacomo Zatti (drums) and Andrea Mantione (synth).
“It’s about a sweet, pure kind of desire — adoration, admiration, wanting, hope,” the trio write about the new track. “It’s free of doubt and full of conviction. There’s no pain in this song, only the joy of someone’s existence and knowing that they are meant for you. It’s asking for trust until someone knows as much as you do about who you will be to one another.”
Take us back to the good times, take us back to our youth, take us back to anything but the right now. Whether two decades ago or four, we didn’t know how good we had it.