Sempre Lontano, the full-length album debut by soul-pop singer
Nina Zilli, includes all eight of the songs from her debut EP,
Nina Zilli (2009), plus four new ones. While
Zilli's debut EP wasn't a big hit, it trumpeted the emergence of a feel-good soul-pop singer with a retro style that harks back to the '60s, drawing from Motown-style R&B and
Phil Spector-style pop as well as ska reggae. Granted, ever since
Amy Winehouse struck gold with Back to Black (2006), there has been no shortage of retro soul-pop singers in Europe, but
Zilli does it better than most. It helps that she puts her influences up front for all to see. "L'Amore Verrà" is a spirited Italian-language cover of
the Supremes' 1966 classic "You Can't Hurry Love," for instance, while "Come Il Sole" appropriates the opening beat from
the Ronettes' 1963 perennial "Be My Baby." It helps also that each of her songs has its own unique characteristics. Her debut single, "50mila," includes harmony vocals by
Giuliano Palma of the like-minded cover band Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters. Another of the highlights from her debut EP, "L'Inferno" is decked out in sha-la-la backup vocals and a great horn arrangement. As for the four new songs exclusive to
Sempre Lontano, far and away the best is "L'Uomo Che Amava le Donne," an orchestrated pop number that is quite different in style from anything from her debut EP. The other three new songs are good if not truly great, which makes
Sempre Lontano a questionable purchase for anyone who already has
Zilli's debut EP in their collection. ~ Jason Birchmeier