Chiarastella
Pianeta Venere

Before starting with the actual review, a small premise is necessary: I consider X-Factor, Amici, and, generally, all talent shows to be a sort of malaise, not only television-wise but also musically. And how can you disagree with me? Over the years, these kinds of programs have produced mediocre singers or so-called ones who are not even worth considering, think of Marco Carta, Emma Marrone, Giusy Ferreri, and other assorted rubbish. If only this low-grade bunch participated in these shows just to sing, but no! They must turn programs like these, which theoretically should revolve solely around singing and music, into musical-cum-gossip-reality shows, because if you don’t end up on the cover of some glossy magazines, you don't appeal to the general public! Then the fourth edition of X-Factor comes along, and Nathalie wins, a singer-songwriter far from being a revolutionary artist, but for whom, for once, the term artist is not wasted. Since then, I started delving deeper into this program, to see if, amid the manure silo, another rose had grown (as Madamebubarry said in one of her reviews). And that's how I discovered Chiarastella.

However, I must admit that at first impact the now thirty-two-year-old singer-songwriter from Rome did not convince me at all: entering the competition when the show was well underway, for her first performance, she sings "Wuthering Heights" and makes a mess, but gets saved by the televote, while for the second she delivers a good performance of "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. Needless to say, this time she is sent home. However, since her bizarre character and fairy-tale voice intrigued me, I searched iTunes and discovered that besides having released an album in 2006 ("Microcosmo"), which the public ignored but critics appreciated, riding the wave of visibility gained thanks to X-Factor, Chiarastella released "Pianeta Venere," with which, though for a niche audience, she managed to gain some recognition. And deservedly so, I would add.

Because this album, while not innovating anything, brings a breath of fresh air into the stale panorama of the Italian music scene: fairy-tale lyrics, a voice somewhere between Bjork and early Elisa, and a dreamy-dark sound characterized by Vespertine-style electronics (an album by the Icelandic singer-songwriter) combined with vaguely punk drums and guitars are the ingredients of a dish that, as mentioned, is far from innovative but somehow manages to be personal, thanks to the consistently excellent interpretation by the singer, and far from being a simple reheated soup.

"Agrumi" opens the dances, a splendid track that somewhat summarizes what has just been said, as it encapsulates the overall sound of the album. After this excellent start, almost all episodes, more or less varied, and successful, alternate, like the "fluttering" and bjork-esque (if you will allow the term) "Come Le Rondini" or "Dafne," a very cute pop-punk nursery rhyme, or again the enchanting "On the Romantic Side" and the dark "Molly Bloom." However, if, in general, the album is pleasantly listenable without ever making you shout for a miracle (perhaps the only exceptions are "Agrumi" and "Molly Bloom"), to significantly raise the overall average there is that pearl at the end, the ballad "Una Ballata di Polvere": piano, voice, some sprinkles of electronics, and a very poetic text make this last track a small masterpiece, which will unfortunately go unnoticed and unheard by most. Moreover, some less successful episodes need mentioning, such as "Epochè" and "La Regina," tracks that follow the "pop nursery rhyme" line of "Dafne," but with much less satisfactory results, which is a shame, given that the lyrics are always very effective and never trite. However, these are not falls severe enough to undermine the quality of a product that deserves to be listened to, and why not, also purchased from online stores.

In short: recommended for those looking for something different from the usual Italian pop fluff.