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THE REVIEW
One of the problems with the many, perhaps too many, music magazines flooding our newsstands is the review section.
In the contemporary frenzy of endless record releases, entrusting reviews to collaborators who are experts in their musical genre amounts to the concrete risk of having all positive reviews. It would be counterproductive and senseless to have heavy metal releases reviewed by a soul music expert or vice versa.
The debate is open and the solution is far from simple. The same argument applies to online reviews. It's rare for an aspiring critic to venture into harsh criticism, and the result is that subjectively, almost all records are delightful.
Intro necessary to talk about the new album by the Italo-Icelandic Emiliana Torrini, arriving over five (!) years after the previous "Love in the Time of Science."
Forget everything that was (and is) "Love In The Time Of Science," a decent synth-trip-hop album. Indeed, here the course changes radically. Torrini has veered towards intimate committed songwriting.
An essentially acoustic album: few, very few chords to build twelve songs delicately strummed, occasionally interrupted by soft piano touches and a very light rhythm section that, to be honest, struggles to be heard. The latest Cat Power comes to mind, or a stripped-down Polly Paulusma, and for a nod to the past, I would mention Joni Mitchell of Blue.
Personally, I find it cloying and albums of this magnitude do not strike a chord with my soul. However, I can understand that it has its admirers and legions of followers ready to laud the tender and graceful voice of the lady from the land of ice.
I appreciate the commitment and the desire to challenge oneself when she could have easily photocopied her previous work, but the result frankly leaves me indifferent. I could listen to ten, a hundred, a thousand albums like this, and I would struggle tremendously to distinguish them from one another.
Next time I pop up on DeBaser, it'll be for a positive review, but this album really bores me senseless.
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Summary by Bot
Emiliana Torrini's Fisherman's Woman marks a shift from her previous synth-trip-hop style to a more intimate and acoustic approach. The album features delicate melodies and minimal instrumentation, recalling artists like Cat Power and Joni Mitchell. While the vocalist's talent and artistic risk are appreciated, the reviewer finds the album repetitive and emotionally uninspiring. It may still appeal to fans of tender, stripped-down music.
Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini is an Icelandic singer‑songwriter of Italian and Icelandic heritage. She debuted internationally with Love in the Time of Science (1999), shifted to intimate folk on Fisherman’s Woman (2005), and scored a major European hit with Jungle Drum from Me and Armini (2008). She performed Gollum’s Song over the end credits of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and later released Tookah (2013) and collaborative work with The Colorist Orchestra.03 Reviews
