Tiziano Ferro
Alla Mia Età

They tried in every way to present it to us as a new album, where the author had changed style, comparing him to Battiato or Fossati, due to collaborations with them: nothing could be more wrong, Tiziano Ferro, for better or worse, is the same as in his previous albums, or at least as the best-selling "Nessuno è solo." Of course, there are more r'n'b sounds, like those heard on his first CD, "Rosso relativo," but in the end, the sad ballads always dominate, which appeal so much to those in love and make the critics frown.

"Alla mia età" consists of 12 tracks + a bonus track and boasts numerous collaborations, including the omnipresent Pausini, Franco Battiato, Ivano Fossati, and Kelly Rowland; there's no need to talk about the immediate success of the album, winning two platinum records in Italy and one in Switzerland in just three days.

The first track is "La tua vita non passerà," musically nothing special, in which Ferro takes on those who always tell you what to do... it is followed by the first single "Alla mia età," certainly excellent, where Ferro pours out all his fears of being almost thirty, even though many accuse it of being a plagiarism of "Davvero" by Virginio (?); next is "Indietro," written in collaboration with Fossati, which also has an English version sung by Rowland: a very catchy song, whose chorus gets stuck in your head from the first listen; however, its resemblance to "No One" by Alicia Keys is undeniable, especially regarding the rhythmic base...

The next song "Il sole esiste per tutti" is perhaps the most beautiful of the whole CD, as it features a pop lyric that leads into a typical Tiziano Ferro chorus... really beautiful, although at a certain point it seems like some notes of "Wake me up when September ends" by Green Day can be heard... maybe it's just my fixation with plagiarism...

Track number 5, "Il regalo più grande" is surely the most romantic and sentimental track on the album: guaranteed success among teenage girls worldwide. Then it's the turn of "Il tempo stesso" co-written with Battiato: at the first listen, it leaves you a bit perplexed, then it becomes more enjoyable, even though it seems more suited to a Bersani, both in lyrics and music, than to the singer from Latina. "La paura non esiste", written with Pausini, showcases all of Ferro's vocal talent, although the song doesn't add anything new to the album: classic melody, classic words. The album's flop, because there's always one in every album, no matter how good it is, is called "La traversata dell'estate": after the first minute, it's inevitable to skip to the next track "Scivoli di nuovo", a sad and haunting piece, which is not bad; the next "Assurdo pensare" follows the trail of the previous piece, reflecting on the normal problems a couple can have. "Per un po' sparirò" presents a disco intro and a rap text, certainly interesting, which serves to break up the sadness of the previous songs. The song that closes the CD (even though the last one is "Breathe gentle", the English version of Indietro) is "Fotografie della tua Assenza", a pleasant ballad that closes an excellent work, where the best part is certainly in the first half.

In conclusion, Ferro hasn't changed, although he seems more mature and experiments are not lacking... The strengths are his voice, the melodies he manages to create, and the collaborations; the negative aspects concern the alleged plagiarism and the lyrics, where the logical connection between one sentence and another is not always clear.