Making memories with Sergio Napoletano

The amount of material recorded over “the COVID years” seems to know no bounds, but, luckily, we found Sergio Napoletano in the stacks. After years of playing guitar in some of the most notable Staten Island acts, Napoletano has utilized social distancing to write, record, and find his indie stride with Memory Aisle.

Sergio’s writing process began with layering ideas on an iPad and “Lockjaw,” the first track from Memory Aisle, his five song EP, hints at this with the lo-fi guitar intro. This then quickly evolves into the production that only a legit studio can provide. The entirety of the EP is, oftentimes, reminiscent of the Sebadoh records that I listened to back in college. Once you hear his vocals, you may also occasionally notice a splendid incarnation of J. Mascis and early Kings of Leon.

Highlights, for me, include the acoustic guitar and piano on the title track, “Memory Aisle,” along with the falsetto ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs.’ Napoletano claims that the idea for Memory Aisle “comes from the idea that we can revisit memories from our past as if we’re strolling through the aisles of a supermarket.” And this imagery is cooly portrayed throughout.

While every song on here is a winner, the EP closes with my favorite, “Petty Folks.” We only get to know Sergio for five songs, but, by its conclusion, you can already hear his growth as a songwriter and we are looking forward to his next release.

-TM