Several veteran Italian songsmiths made a prosperous passage into the new millennium. Claudio Baglioni continues to mesmerize with string-led contemporary ballad “Tienimi Con Te”, while Zucchero is full of energy on the blues rocker “Bacco Perbacco”. Alongside them, newbies include the Britpop-influenced Lunapop, indie rockers Le Vibrazioni and the ever rising Elisa, who reveals alt-rock’s poetic sensibilities through glimmering, pitch-perfect interpretations. Meanwhile, Nina Zilli and Neffa look back for inspiration in “Schema Libero”, an endearing duet suffused with a nostalgic, jazzy charm.