As Austin grows, the musicians it attracts come from farther away. Giulia Millanta hails from Florence, Italy, and as evidenced by her fifth effort, Moonbeam Parade, she’s made herself a welcome local addition. Unlike most singer-songwriter or folk artists currently calling Texas home, Millanta’s music plays out edgy yet swells with heart. Assistance from a slew of locals, including Michael Fracasso, Charlie Sexton, Gabe & Kimmie Rhodes, George Reiff, and Dony Wynn, she spins a web of intrigue through the use of crafty melodies and rock trappings that never veer into cliche. One misstep: a cover of Bowie’s “Rock & Roll Suicide” with Millanta singing in Italian and Howe Gelb of Giant Sand croaking the chorus. The off-kilter “Shaky Legs,” a marvelous duet with Fracasso, “If You Ask Me,” and the dynamic poetry of “Pieces” lend Moonbeam Parade a rare sense of boldness.

***.5

This article appears in November 18 • 2016.

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