IO SONO NATO LIBERO

The third wonderful album from Banco del Mutuo Soccorso isn't quite as fresh and eye- opening as the first two - in particular, the opening epic seems to occasionally get sparse on ideas, with some sections dragging on a little longer than necessary - but it's still an excellent piece of Italian pastoral prog.

That said, with lyrics inspired by the then-recent military coup in Chile and the horrible wave of political repression that it unleashed, Francesco Di Giacomo's vocal performance is more emotionally genuine than on the previous two albums - clearly addressing subject matter dear to him and the band as a whole. So, not quite five stars, but still worth a listen, especially if you are a fan of Francesco's operatic vocal style.