The latest effort from EmilÃana Torrini distinguishes itself from fellow Icelandic contemporaries by presenting straightforward folk-pop pleasures. With seven albums under her belt, most notably 1999’s Love in the Time of Science, produced by Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears, a song on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Thievery Corporation, and Paul Oakenfold, as well as several Icelandic Music Award nominations to her credit, Torrini is no freshman in this business, yet she remains relatively unknown in the U.S.
On her latest release, Me and Armini, Torrini seeks our attention by taking quite a few stylistic risks incorporating everything from electronic cuts, reggae influences, and bluesy guitar hooks, perhaps ending up a little too far from home. The opening track, “Fireheads†is a spare, slow to wake-up track with a plucky guitar riff paired with gentle, honest lyrics. “Me and Armini,†is a catchy tune that fuses head-bopping ska beats and electronica with seductive pop-perfect confessions. Right behind it is “Birds,†which begins as a breathy whisper, until about the half way point where things take a somewhat darker turn evoking trip-hop memories of college, Morcheeba on heavy rotation, and signature dance moves.
Tracks like “Ha-Ha†where Torrini’s voice is a stark silhouette against an acoustic guitar backdrop and “Gun,†a tale of betrayal, vengeance and murder, in which Torrini drops down from the cloud she had up until now been floating on to demand, “look me in the barrel then tell me that you love me…this is a kiss that I swear will blow your mind†are stand out moments. While Me and Armini does a good job of showcasing Torrini’s sonorous voice, there remain a few tunes that are just too cute, like “Big Jumps†and “Jungle Drums†which could easily be headed for the next Old Navy commercial or perhaps a Starbucks playlist near you.
Taken individually, the songs here are good, in fact, there’s nothing really wrong with them, but truth be told, if an album is like a beau or a best friend, who really wants to be with someone that’s just, “good†with “nothing wrong with them?†Don’t we all want to be with someone we’re obsessed with, someone that may have a few battle scars but with whom we can’t live without? Someone that helps us see the world, or even better, ourselves differently?
Unfortunately, Torrini’s collection of well-crafted songs, while good and sweet, comes up short in this respect. In addition, the sheer volume of contrasting sounds, genres, and ultimately identities, lends itself to the feeling of a disjointed album overall.
Tracklisting:
01. Fireheads
02. Me And Armini (download)
03. Birds
04. Heard It All Before
05. Ha Ha
06. Big Jumps
07. Jungle Drums
08. Hold Heart
09. Gun
10. Beggar’s Prayer
11. Dead Duck
12. Bleeder
EmilÃana Torrini: website | myspace
Written by: Reni Papananias
I love Emiliana. Beautiful voice.
I’ve listened to the album several times through and find it to be lovely.
Smashing review!