From the Inside
Already a star in Europe, singer Laura Pausini guns for points west withFrom the Inside, her English language debut. She just might do it, too--Celine Dionwas wildly successful peddling a similar set of gauzy, adult-pop ballads aimed straight at the heart. That said, Pausini eschews histrionics in favor of clear-eyed readings with the emphasis on melody and enunciation. The haunting "Every Little Thing You Do"--which appears twice, as a full-blown suite and a stripped down piano-vocal reprise--is pure gooseflesh, all shooting sonic stars and wispy minor chords behind Pausini's trembling mezzo. "I Do to Be" and "Every Day Is a Monday" (the latter already familiar to Italian and Spanish fans) are shiny, hands-on-hips pop struts and welcome reprieves fromFrom the Inside's abundant slow-burning moments.--Kim Hughes