The Italian artist Bobby Solo started singing in 1963 and became famous thanks to 'Una lacrima sul viso (A tear on the face)' which he sang at the 1964 Sanremo Festival, the Italian music temple. It's a song he revisits here on his new album, but presents it in the Friulian language - he's already released German, English, French, Spanish and Japanese versions in the past...

Bobby Solo's new album, Nuove Canzoni Italiane, literally translated as "New Italian Songs", contains 15 songs (54 min, 04 sec). It contains 13 new songs with two bonus tracks, the aforementioned Friulian version of 'Una lacrima sul viso' as well as a reworking of 'Se piangi, se ridi (If you cry, if you laugh)', winner of the Sanremo Festival in 1965.

I wasn't sure how serious this album was supposed to be. Was Solo having a little fun with the genre and deliberately making musical choices that were decades old ('E se non fosse per sempre' for example); was he recapturing the sound of music from all of the era's he's performed in? I have no idea, but it's the sort of music you can imagine your dotty great aunt listening to. It sounds like music of the past, but it's not, it's all new material. It's hard not to be hooked by tracks like 'Non farti rubare i sogni (Do not Be Steal Your Dreams)'; and 'So sbagliare da me (I Know I'm Wrong)'; and Although, I thought I was listening to a new Father Abraham (of Father Abraham and The Smurfs fame) when I heard 'Immemori dettagli (Immemori Details)'.

I understand now why the Italian's refer to Solo as the "Italian Elvis". He does have a similar style and vocal sound... but not good enough to pass himself off as an Elvis tribute act (as we discovered with his previous album Elvis Lives).

This will no doubt be a welcome release for his legions of fans. If you're not a convert you may be left scratching your head about what all the fuss is about. Although, you can't get around the fact that he has a wonderful singing voice.

7

Nick Smithson