"2015's "Quaranta" saw Italy's Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino garner worldwide acclaim with a sound 40 years in the making, but with roots that go back centuries in the tarantella tradition around their native Lecce. How do you follow up something like that? Leader Mauro Duarte took a long, surprising path for CGS, working with composers better known for their work in American rock and pop, and enlisting Joe Mardin (son of Arif, of Atlantic Records fame) to produce. That could have meant veering towards the middle of the road, but while the resulting sound might be bigger and fuller, not a gram of the band's integrity has been compromised ... The band is sharper than ever, the arrangements all push the songs, and the production is like crystal; every element fits perfectly. It's a grand gesture in the very best way, and a complete triumph"