Believe it or not, their band name isn’t the most interesting facet of Canadian duo God’s Mom. Last month they released their debut full-length collection of songs, with the As It Was Given compilation collecting their singles set to tape from 2020 through this year outside of their self-titled EP from last April. Recorded between Toronto and Rome, these 17 tracks leaned into vocalist Bria Salmena’s Italian heritage as they took the form of traditional Calabrian tarantellas amplified by producer A. Matthews’ pulsing, kaleidoscopic, and occasionally clubby instrumentals.
In contrast to earlier cuts on the collection such as the techno-industrial “Maddalena,” the collection’s penultimate track is a softer, more reflective tune—as if reflecting on the album’s prior journey. “‘Perche Non Mi Ami’ is a true heartbreak song,” the duo shares of the track, which takes a sullen approach lyrically. “A ballad inspired by the classics of [Italian singer/actress] Mina Mazzini. Musically, we wanted to convey the sound of being depressed in the blazing sun.”
Yet the track’s new music video is far from depressing, instead seeing Salmena soaking in the rays on Italian beaches intercut with travelog-esque shots from the duo’s time in Rome and Bologna. Check out the Matthews-directed clip below, and steam As It Was Given here.
