Essentially a vehicle for Italian singer/multi-musician Stefano Lionetti, Lionville came out of nowhere to register one of 2011’s definitive melodic releases with a self-titled debut that snaffled the talents of the cream of the European scene.
Most of these names, notably the excellent Lars Såfsund from Work Of Art on vocals and guitarist Bruce Gaitsch (Richard Marx, Chicago), return for a follow-up that echoes and equals Lionvillle’s introductory statement.
The breezy All We Need kick-starts things persuasively. English may not be Lionetti’s native tongue but where used on two songs, his pipes betray no accent and the album’s lyrics embrace all of the genre’s now mandatory mid-Atlantic clichés.
However, consistency and quality are Lionville’s watchwords, and whoever suggested the transposition of Waiting For A Star To Fall – a hit for the American duo Boy Meets Girl – into swoon-inducing AOR territory deserves a large drink.
