ALBUM REWIEW - Claudia Sala E- Oro

I'm always looking for original things to write about, and this is one I have never tackled before. Reviewing a new EP from Claudia Sala, who is Italian.  She has a new pop album that is half sung Italian and half English. I learned through this, that it really makes no difference with the language barrier, good is good. We enjoy Opera every day with no real understanding of the words.  I'm willing to give it a go if you are.

Claudia Sala is from Palermo, Italy and was a performer at Festa Italiana in Akron this week, where she brought her new EP E- Ora (It's Time) with her. It is a 6 song set that is a breath of Spring air, and has spawned a single, Don't Set Limits, sung in English.  It is a beautiful ballad that cuts right to the heart of a challenging love. Sala sings it beautifully, with great vulnerability and a wonderful Italian accent, that is superb with the English lyrics.  While many lose their accents singing English, lucky for us, she does not.

To me, the strongest performance on this EP, is the lead and title cut, E-Ora, sung in Italian. It is clear that Sala sings with more confidence in Italian which is understandable. It is a delicious, jazz infused Italian pop song that you like from the very first listen.  It's just her with a small combo, and Claudia sings this with the voice of an angel that is as smooth as a glass of fine wine, being lovingly poured into tall long stemmed glass in candlelight.  This magnificent song is the perfect lead in to the rest of this very well done project that showcases who she is, and what her music is all about. E-Ora is incredibly alluring and gentle to your senses, even though I literally understand two words. 

Talking with Claudia, she tells me her deep influences are surprisingly American.  Her old soul music taste range from Joni Mitchell, to Judy Collins,  to Joan Baez, and even today's Country music. And all of it shows here. Incidentally, all three of the above, very strong singers.

Claudia is immensely talented as a singer with a tone from heaven.  She never struggles to find a note, and sings with undeniable passion and feeling. She understands what singers from all over the globe seem to never really understand, that louder is not better.  Better is better.  And when you know where the notes are, find them easily, and simply sing them from the heart with the incredible gift you've been given,  it really works.  No shouting here, just perfect pitch with an ease that is to be envied.

She is not interested in impressing us how long she can shout a note, or hold one.  There are no real soaring high notes, and hard to listen to crescendo song endings.  The strength of this album is it's simplicity.   It is not overdone, overproduced and she certainly does not over sing it. The producers were very savvy in letting her gift be the star and not have overdone production get in her way.   Claudia is confident that you will be drawn in by her easy to listen to vocals, that do not require bells and whistles to make it better.  It just is better.

Is this album good?  You bet it is.  Very well done.   Bellissimo!