9°:V by Mannarino
Okay, for me this is definitely the one I've had the most varied opinion about: when it first came out, I thought it was excellent; with subsequent listens, it became quite intriguing, and now I consider it good. And this in less than three months—strange how life works. Anyway, V came with many expectations: it could have been a grand album rich in ethnic influences, a bit like Creuza de ma or Anima latina (even though it would never come close to those two masterpieces), and it had all the potential to be so, but it didn't fully meet those expectations. Songs like Vagabunda, Banca de New York Bandida, Ballabylonia, Agua are nice tracks, but they could have left an even stronger impression; even Lei, which should be the thematic centerpiece of the album, is very forgettable, just like the ballad Luna. These factors take it away from greatness, but it still has many strong points: the lyrics are excellently crafted—after all, it's Mannarino, not just any showman—Africa is a great song that leaves an impression, Cantaré is interesting as a piece and also engaging at times, Congo is quite unique, Fiume nero is where the expectations were fully met; the contaminated sound comes out magnificently. But the real exception that allowed V to take a place among the best albums of 2021 is found in the last track, Paura, which is radically the furthest from what the album aimed to propose but, paradoxically, turns out to be the most moving, gentle, and powerful episode of the album. And all this, with the last track. If the other twelve had been on par, it would have been the most beautiful album of the year. But we don't live in a perfect world, and V remains interesting; give it a listen; it’s not time completely wasted.

The gem: Paura