On
Alas y Raices, his first all-new album in four years and tenth album overall, Italian singer/songwriter
Eros Ramazzotti once again worked closely with longtime collaborator
Claudio Guidetti, who is credited as co-producer and with co-writing ten of the 11 songs. The result is in many ways a typical
Ramazzotti album. The songs are both lyrical and vocal showcases for
Ramazzotti, and though the music is secondary, it's nonetheless amazing -- a symphonic style of pop/rock whose string arrangements are the work of
Paul Buckmaster, a master whose illustrious career spans several decades, going all the way back to early-'70s pop/rock classics by
Elton John,
Harry Nilsson, and
Carly Simon. Moreover,
Alas y Raices is a dynamic album that ranges from the album-opening kickstart of
"Apuntes y Notas," to the tailor-made hit single
"Dimelo a Mi," to the heart-touching ballad
"El Horizonte," to the lilting piano pop of
"Afectos Personales," to the soaring power ballad
"Alas y Raices," to the surging symphonic rock of
"Flor Incluidos," to the orchestral highlight
"Nosotros Incluidos," to the edgy electro-rock of
"No Podemos Cerrar los Ojos." While all of this is in many ways typical for a
Ramazzotti album, his post-millennial output in particular,
Alas y Raices is a better all-around effort than predecessors such as
Calma Aparente (2005) and
9 (2003), which are at times rote and random. In contrast,
Alas y Raices sounds inspired and focused, as if the four years since
Calma Aparente helped refresh
Ramazzotti's album-making creativity. It also might have helped that
Ramazzotti used the time off to release
E2 (2007), a double-disc greatest-hits compilation comprised partly of newly recorded versions of past hits -- collaborative versions that are relatively experimental in style, perhaps a reflection of his desire to break free of audience expectations. In any event,
Alas y Raices is
Ramazzotti's best overall album in years, and while it's not brimming with potential smash hits (the perfect lead single
"Dimelo a Mi" being the exception), it's definitely filled with highlights and lacking the filler that sometimes found its way onto previous albums. ~ Jason Birchmeier
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