In '95, Carella returns with a surprising concept album, musically radiant and sugary, and textually sparkling. "Se non cantassi sarei nessuno" is the most ambitious and successful work of Carella's later discography, telling the tale of a modern Ulysses. It all begins with the powerful "Odissea," a choral pop piece that acts as a prologue to Ulysses' adventures, marked by an excellent and simple drum beat. There's a delightful and tropical pop song called "Solitudine vera," which could have had great radio success, as well as the subsequent "Cara al cuore," a rather intriguing funky track. Two slightly more challenging songs follow, namely the Battiato-esque "Parti nude" and the energetic "Capebomma," both of which have their place in the album's economy. Opening the second part are "Solo cielo e mare," a lengthy piece where Ulysses encounters the sirens, and "Tiempe croce doce," which is almost hard rock where, in essence, all the suitors are mercilessly slaughtered. The surprise comes with the eighth track, "My baby is back": a tear-jerking pop ballad where Ulysses reunites with his beloved. The album concludes with the already-released singles "La miseria" and "Partire," which feel a bit like bonus tracks but are of excellent quality. With this album, Carella had the chance to restart like in the past and consistently produce high-level albums. Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way, and Carella wasn't heard from for a long time (again).
Nerdy rating: 8+
The gem: My baby is back-Enzo Carella (testo)