If Måneskin revitalised the Italian scene with glammy, extroverted alt-rock, their contemporaries—and fellow X Factor graduates—SANTI FRANCESI turned their attentions inwards in synthesised, raspy-voiced melodies of separation and desire, laid on a bed of nostalgia-soaked beats. After releasing their electrifying, ukulele-laced debut LP as The Jab, Alessandro De Santis and Mario Lorenzo Francese softened the tones in 2022 EP in fieri, continuing to explore modern vulnerabilities in ’80s-inflected tales populated with bittersweet late-night confessionals and layers of echoey synths.