Giulia Millanta - The Funambulist (2014)

"The Funambulist" is the fourth studio album by Italian-American singer, guitarist, and songwriter Giulia Millanta, released on March 12, 2014, via Ugly Cat Music.

The album was recorded shortly after the artist moved from her native Florence, Italy, to Austin, Texas—one of the major music capitals of the United States. The album's title ("Tightrope Walker") captures the key concept of the release—the art of balancing different cultures, languages, continents, and realities.

"The Funambulist" is a multilingual work, with songs performed in three (and in Giulia's work, sometimes four) languages: English, Italian, and French. The singer herself admitted that different languages ​​respond to different parts of her brain: English helps her convey immediate emotions and images, while Italian is more rational and analytical.

The album's title perfectly captures the artist's state of mind, having stepped out of her comfort zone. The songs' themes focus on self-discovery, loneliness while traveling, love, doubt, and faith. The music is imbued with a cinematic, slightly hypnotic atmosphere (critics sometimes call her style "psychedelic groove"), where delicate acoustic guitar intertwines with inventive percussion and mature, deep vocals.

Julia collaborated with her band and husband, renowned Texas guitarist David Pulkingham, as well as bassist Glenn Fukunaga and drummer Michael Longoria, helping to combine traditional European restraint with a sultry Texas flavor.