Il Divo - Ancora (2003/2020)

There are those who will tell you that Il Divo, the multinational quartet of sharp-dressed crooners, synthesize Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion to concoct something worse. And they will not be entirely incorrect. Yet it's hard to argue with a sensation that has entrenched itself so deeply so fast, and a first spin of Ancora makes it harder still: while predictable selections like "I Believe in You," a duet with Celine, and "You Raise Me Up," a Spanish-sung Josh Groban retread, ratchet up the treacle, the foreign-language tracks that are truly foreign lend this foursome enough Euro mystique to redeem them. Particularly melt-worthy is "Poor Que Tu M'aimes Encore," the closer. Singing in tongues, on the face of it, sounds like a bad idea. Ancora counters that with bold voices, brimming hearts, and its cover--if the songs aren't quite enough to seduce you, the singers might just do the trick. --Tammy La Gorce