Spaccacuore by Alessandro Bottura
Alessandro Bottura is back with a brand new release after enjoying great success with his debut album, Morning Grooves, which was released in March 2009 to rave reviews by both critics and fans. Bottura’s latest track, “Spaccacuore” is a medium tempo groove that speaks of unrequited love and the pain that accompanies it. The constant “wah wah” on the guitar pedaling into a syncopated piano figure is a good backdrop for Bottura’s vocals which have a great smoky (and I might also add “sexy”) sound. In fact, this particular vocal performance reminds me of Phil Collins. Bottura, a multi-talented multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, drums and bass) does a great job with this song, originally recorded by Samuele Bersani in 2004, and then again in 2009 by Laura Pausani, who took it to new heights. The four piece rhythm section features a nice electric bass solo on the breakdown between verses. Morning Grooves both introduced Bottura and solidified him as a bonifide rock/pop/jazz musician with talent to stand the test of time – not an easy feat in the music industry. Bottura has been compared to Jaco Pastorius, an American jazz musician and composer who was widely known for his skills as an electric bass guitarist, and his performance on “Spaccacuore” only reinforces that parallel. The tune is solid, enjoyable though melancholy, and while it may be classified as adult contemporary rock, it is infused with a hint of jazz flavor for spice. “Spaccacuore” builds to a layered background with vocal harmonies and power fuzz guitar chords before fading to a nice finish. - Michele Wilson-Morris, MusicDish
