Ligabue - Buon Compleanno Elvis (CD)

All Music Guide

Ligabue, the pop/rock project led by guitarist Luciano Ligabue, is the Italian answer to Hootie and the Blowfish. Take that comparison as you will, but the rootsy sway of songs like "Seduto in Rival Al Fosso" comes very close to replicating the emotive wail of Darius Rucker and the gang. It sounds more than a little odd coming from the mouth of a Italian singer, if only because this sort of rock invokes images of small towns in the American South. Still, Ligabue can really sing, and his delivery actually sounds quite appropriate for this album. The songs are pretty average, with melodies and hooks that come straight from the mid'90s school of bland pop/rock. But the curiosity value of this album is quite high, so anyone who would like to hear a Italian twist on a popular American genre should give this a listen. The album is far from terrible, and it retains its novelty for at least one play.

- Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide