Laura Pausini
Io Canto

Obscene, blasphemous, abominable, repugnant.

How well they manage to ruin the songs of Italian music! 'Io canto' is the name of the CD, but given the performer, it would be better called "I Scream", since when Pausini hits a high note, it sounds like she's getting waxed. Everything you're looking for that's commercial and clichéd, you'll find here, in large quantities.

It starts with "Io Canto": a well-crafted song by Cocciante, but as already mentioned, the name should be changed ("I Scream"). Following are "Due" and "Scrivimi", originally by Raf and Buonocore. Well done, but had they been in the hands of other singers from the Italian scene, they would have shined more. The fourth track is "Il Mio Canto Libero" interpreted with singer Juanes (see "La Camisa Negra"). Sacrilege. Horror. Disgust. One of the most beautiful songs in Italian music, written by the legendary Lucio Battisti, a real pearl, destroyed, rearranged, ruined. More screams here and there, and the voice of the Latin American singer contributes to spoiling everything. "Destinazione Paradiso" by Gianluca Grignani, a melodic and quite listenable piece, is perhaps the only track on the CD where Pausini manages to sing well, but perhaps this impression is only due to the beauty of the music and lyrics. "Stella Gemella" by Eros Ramazzotti, a cute song, nothing more, same for "Come Il Sole All'Improvviso" by Zucchero, a duet with Johnny Hallyday. Then follows another damage. Irreparable. "Cinque Giorni" by Michele Zarrillo, seems to start well: Laura seems to sing a lullaby, this not meant in a derogatory sense, but because this initial part of the song is really very beautiful. But if you don't scream, you're not happy! In the highest part of the song, where it goes 'di esserti dimenticato ieri', we watch incredulously and stunned at a great and reproachable caveman-like scream. Moving on with "La Mia Banda Suona Il Rock", by Fossati, an overall rhythmic and well-sung track, like "Spaccacuore" by Bersani and "Anima Fragile" by Vasco.

Then comes the album’s big eater. "Non Me Lo So Spiegare" can be dubbed the 'anthem of Italian mediocrity', in a duet with Tiziano Ferro, third single from the CD. I say: why release a track that already had success in the recent 2004, and leave in the CD older tracks like the already mentioned "Due" or "Destinazione Paradiso"? Oh right, money is tempting, they like it. So go ahead, release it at the start of May, all ready for Festivalbar, so I can win it, thanks also to a continuous and obsessive propaganda on every existing Italian media. The most daring commercial operation I have ever seen in the world of Italian music. "Nei Giardini Che Nessuno Sa" by Renato Zero and "In Una Stanza Quasi Rosa" by Antonacci are nothing but tracks added to round out the CD, while "Quando" by Pino Daniele would have been better left out. Ending with "Strada Facendo" by Claudio Baglioni, where Laura embarks on another mix of screams and shouts. Terrifying.

An indispensable album for all fans of the 'divine' (but where??), as they call her, a completely dispensable album for every other living being on earth. Laura Pausini, the (unfortunately) Italian flag in the world.