Francesco Renga's solo career began in the limelight. As the former lead singer of Italian rockers Timoria, he had to establish his pop songwriting credentials early, releasing a stream of urgent, serious songs with chattery verses and uplifting choruses, built from stern piano chords, brickbat guitars and siren synths. Having found his feet quickly, his later experiments with a full orchestra showcased his blossoming abilities as an operatic crooner, but his true vocation remains that of the gentleman songwriter with a beguiling quaver to his voice.