La Crus
Infinite Possibilità

Punctual as a Swiss watch, the Milanese band La Crus are back with their sixth album. Since their debut in 1995, they have delighted us with new releases every two years. To clear up any misunderstanding, I declare myself a fan of the Milanese group from the very beginning and they have never disappointed me, deserving the title of the best pop-rock band of the peninsula. For me, that is. So it is advised against reading this review for inflexible critics, overly serious individuals, and obviously, for those who do not consider La Crus their cup of tea.

I have known Alessandro Cremonesi since we were kids. He used to come on vacation with his family during the summer months to "my" Tuscan countryside where I was born, raised, and still reside. Many years have passed since those times, but who would have imagined he could achieve such milestones. He has always been attracted, although not obsessively, to music, but nothing foreshadowed such a passion. His parents occasionally continue to visit the Pisano countryside, and I still exchange a few friendly words with them. Alex and I speak on the phone once a year, and we rarely exchange emails. By now, there is too much dust over our memories, too much distance between us, too much time has passed, in short, everything is too much. What was I saying? Ah, yes!... the album.

Alex Cremonesi, the hidden member of La Crus, co-writes seven tracks out of ten in this new musical effort. Many critics frowned upon the previous album, which they deemed half-heartedly false, and it seems they won't be too lenient this time either. They have commercialized, was the most recurring phrase, others declared they had run out of steam. I fear, unfortunately, that the refrain will be the same, perhaps even worse since they are repeat offenders. It is undeniable that things have changed since their self-titled debut and especially compared to the following "Dentro Me", but I would add, not necessarily for the worse. It's true that the sound has been sweetened, the lyrics have become more accessible, even saccharine in "Dietro La Curva Del Cuore", the construction of the tracks has "normalized" to the canonical verse-chorus style, but raise your hand if you think making a pop music album is easy. Lucio Battisti did it for decades, meeting with immense approval from both critics and the public, and still serves as a reference for anyone venturing into the world of popular music.
Therefore, don't expect revolutions compared to the previous two albums; the main road has been paved, you just have to follow it with class, of course. Behind the poetry of the title track, the enchanting sounds of "Libera la mente", the crystalline melody of "I miei ritratti", always interpreted with an authoritative demeanor, never over the top — he could allow himself to be, with that voice — by Mauro Ermanno Giovanardi, lies a mature group aware of its potential, which has decided to offer another chance to the narrow-minded and stagnant Italian audience, lost behind the likes of Nek, Laura Pausini, Piero Pelù, Gigi D'Alessio, and the rest.
An old advertisement used to say: for many but not for everyone. Let's seize this opportunity because, despite the title, I don't know how many more they will grant us. I personally wish them every success. They deserve it.

P.S. - The CD comes with a DVD featuring a selection of short films from the Milan Film Festival re-edited with the songs. An interesting experiment but somewhat detached from the project.

P.S. 2 – The graphic designs of their albums might deserve, perhaps, more attention.