8th place: Freak
Two years after his decent debut, Samuele achieves his greatest success purely in sales terms with his second album, Freak. Preceded by the eponymous and very light single, this Freak definitely represents a step forward. Samuele's poetic style manages to break free from established patterns, resulting in a handful of beautiful songs like Cado giù (partially ruined by the arrangement) or Cosa vuoi da me, which is actually a pseudo-cover of Glastonbury song by the Waterboys. Then there are the two instant classics, two absolute gems that elevate this album: the first is the well-known Spaccacuore, which astonishingly combines Samuele's poetry with some "commercial" demands, and the second is Barcarola albanese, a poetic and delicate story on a topic still relevant today, immigration—those who leave by sea in search of a better fate. These two tracks alone would be enough to consider Freak a sufficient album, just like the debut, but compared to its predecessor, it has an extra gear. Certainly, there are still many moments that fall flat, good but not memorable episodes, and so on, but as the second installment of Bersani's career, it is very good.
Picky rating: 7
The gem: Samuele Bersani - Spaccacuore (Official Video)