IL VOLO

Italian sextet Il Volo boasted twin guitarists and keyboardists, but don't expect lengthy instrumental passages and complex structures from their 1974 debut album. What we do have is a collection of short and commercial-sounding songs. There are some featherweight fusion touches scattered throughout the album's 8 tracks, but generally things are all very accessible. That said, the standard of the compositions is first-rate and the level of musicianship is high. Vocals are pleasant and the soundscape is well endowed with a rich variety of keyboards, mainly electric piano and string-synth, and guitars.

The fusion influence is most apparent in the forceful funk and Santana-influenced licks of COME UNA ZANZARA, and the biting guitar and free-flowing electric piano of LA CANZONE DEL NOSTRO TEMPO. The ultra-catchy LA MIA RIVOLUZIONE is basically a shuffle, spiced with Alberto Radius' electric sitar and a graceful guitar solo towards the end of the song. There's some nice work on the toms from drummer Gianni Dall'Aglio on the sedate IL CALORE UMANO. The closing section features the sunny effect of wordless vocals sung over another velvet-toned guitar solo. Throughout the album, keyboards are used together with the rhythm section as building blocks for the guitarists to lay down their solos. However, the main focus is always on the songs and after a brief spoken word intro, IL CANTO DELLA PREISTORIA develops into a beautiful acoustic ballad. SONNO is equally romantic with its tension-filled falsetto vocals. I PRIMI RESPIRI is a quirky little ditty that features Mario Larezzi's electric mandolin and more of that electric sitar. This and SINFONIA DELLE SCARPE DA TENNIS, which contains honky tonk piano, both sound like '60s psychedelic-pop throwbacks and they tend to make the album sound a bit dated. The first half of this album contains some wonderfully melodic songs. The second half is not quite as good, but is still a very pleasant listen. However, herein lies a slight problem. This album is just a little too easy; essentially, it's a pop-based album. There's no denying Il Volo's musical prowess or ability to write warm and endearing melodies, but I'd recommend their more dynamic second album over this release.