Eugenio Finardi
Il vento di Elora

With the end of the eighties also comes the end of Eugenio Finardi's decade-long association with the glorious Fonit Cetra, which would close its doors almost ten years later. The album that closes the decade and the contract is truly commendable, going by the name Il vento di Elora, named after the Canadian location that inspired the singer-songwriter of American descent. Ten tracks characterized by a multiplicity of styles and instruments, yet paradoxically creating a more homogeneous atmosphere than the previous Dolce Italia. It opens with the title track, a great rock piece about the fate of the world, which "spins like a madman/what does it care about the life of a boy," and while those who don't look back and don't back down move forward, many people struggle. A spectacular beginning. It follows with "La mia vita senza te," romantic and melancholic, with an invocation reminiscent of "Pessimistic" and imbued with sax. The trilogy "albero (delle spade)-treno-fiume" should be taken as a whole, three beautiful songs with really evocative lyrics and different arrangements. The first features more keyboard, the second even includes the trumpet, while the third is a very well-done rock piece that pairs with the title track. "Bisogno di te" is listenable, but in hindsight, it's the weakest of the album, while one must stand up in front of the ironic and biting blues of "Vil Coyote," whose melody was born from a phone call with Vittorio Cosma and where cartoon characters are metaphors for real life. Vil Coyote is the one who struggles to achieve a goal, valuing the journey more than reaching it. The "beep beep" ending makes the song crazy and joyous. However, the atmosphere changes with the short "Favola," presumably dedicated to his daughter Elettra, delicate with guitar arpeggio. A lullaby-like piece before the grand finale of "Come in uno specchio," a musical ride lasting almost 11 minutes, divided into three parts: the first, the actual "song," lasts almost six minutes; then the second part is a two-minute monologue in English; the third part is a repeated piano phrase almost three minutes long. The song has a religious impulse, so much so that the first part alone will be revisited in the project "Il silenzio e lo spirito" almost fifteen years later. Generally, even in concerts, Eugenio performs the song but not the "suite."
Il vento di Elora is a truly beautiful album, whose suspension between dark and ironic atmospheres recalls Milady by Roberto Vecchioni, not only for the black and white cover shot but also for some arrangements and the extended finale of the last track, which evokes "Polo Sud." Four stars are well-deserved; together with Dolce Italia, they form a very interesting diptych. In 1990, Finardi will sign an important contract with WEA for a rearranged collection with an unreleased track, "La forza dell'amore," which will give the album its title and revamp his image, earning success perhaps never achieved before and even projecting an image far from his path, that of the "cool rocker for teenage girls"!