The luxury and ease of Jovanotti’s “Italia: 1988-2012”

By: Colin Rabyniuk –

Don’t worry if you have not heard of Jovanotti. The Italian superstar is, well, an Italian superstar. Over there he’s something of a Springsteen figure – that is, if Springsteen was still cool. Perhaps the better comparison is Dylan, a few albums after the switch to electric guitars, at the peak of his fame.

Jovanotti’s latest album, Italia: 1988 – 2012, is a career retrospective and his first foray into North America. Released by Dave Matthews’ ATO Records, the compilation remixes some of the rapper’s greatest hits.There are a few new tracks here as well – most notably “New York for Life”, an English-language ode to NYC with shoutouts to Grandmaster Flash and the Beastie Boys.

An indelible vibrancy runs through Italia: 1988 – 2012. The songs feel perfect and easy – like in an act of art and and joy, they just happened to him one day in the studio. Listening to the album, you’ll forget how long you’ve been nodding your head or tapping your feet, and truthfully, it will be longer than you think.

There’s a nuanced luxury here, something that Jovanotti has grown into. Casually, the music gallivants across genres, jetsetting between Milan, New York, Madrid, and Shanghai. The song “Penelope” is driven by a quirky bass line beneath hard, distorted guitars perfectly leveled in the mix with a harmonica filling the bridge. Tracks like “La Porta e Aperta” and “Mezzogiorno” consist of a lonely acoustic guitar played gently under Jovanotti’s voice. The album is divided in two by an interlude of French horns and clarinets. Near the end, one of his earlier tracks, “Scappa Con Me,” leans heavily on 80’s synth and Van Halen-style guitar solos.

Jovanotti has amassed an impressive body of work. Italia: 1988 – 2012 will serve as a solid introduction to North American listeners. Included here is everything from his beginnings in 80’s pop to his flirtations with rock and world music. Altogether, it’s one of the best records of the year, refreshing and sublime.