Nina Zilli
Frasi&Fumo

Since her debut back in 2010 with that "L'Uomo che Amava le Donne" which convinced more than a few of her abilities, Nina Zilli's talent has (almost) never been questioned and indeed, whether one likes it or not, it cannot be denied that she possesses technical and vocal skills and a stage presence capable of overshadowing far more "illustrious" colleagues. The problem for the then-novice vocalist was always another, decidedly unrelated to mere technical factors: her personality.

And it must be said that, despite 5 years having passed and Zilli already reaching her third studio work, this issue continues to persist, as she still seems not to have found her own authorial and interpretative identity, torn as she is between black music and Italian song, between Nina Simone and Mina. This does not mean, however, that "Frasi&Fumo" is an unsuccessful record; on the contrary, in some respects, this looking towards soul and blues from a consciously Italian perspective saves its author from becoming that clone of Amy Winehouse many accuse her of being and consequently, the work gains in variety, neatly dividing between pieces of Italian extraction ("Dormi, Dormi", "Se Bruciasse la Città", a cover of Massimo Ranieri, and "Cadevo Piano"), R&B, blues, and soul ("Sola", "Fra il Divano e le Nuvole", "Frasi&Fumo"), not to mention some touches of reggae and bossa nova ("Lei Dice", "Una Breve Vacanza").

An album well-made and honest, in short, that flows smoothly also thanks to Zilli's always sinuous and elegant voice, perfectly at ease with these sounds, although, at least for now, she seems to lack that something extra that could make her stand out in an increasingly crowded musical landscape. Certainly, the improvement from "L'Amore è Femmina" is evident, aided by a production perhaps a bit too polished for this genre, but much less glossy and far from flat as in the previous album, and the fact that she seems to have realized that her path, musically speaking, lies halfway between national and international boundaries, but this is not enough to enter among the ranks of the greats. And it's a shame, because Nina would have all the means and abilities to do so.