SpiritoDiVino

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineZucchero's Spirito DiVino was designed as the album that would break the Italian star into the lucrative American audience, who had been ignoring the vocalist for nearly a decade. In essence, Spirito DiVino is no different than the singer's previous albums -- after all, this was originally released as an Italian album and in that version, it sold over a half million copies in Europe. Over immaculately produced, synthesized productions, Zucchero layers his gruff, bluesy vocals. Most of the songs aren't particularly distinctive, lacking immediate melodies or memorable hooks. Then again, they were selected as showcases for Zucchero's charisma and they do a very good job of demonstrating the singer's charm and sex appeal.