Jimmy Somerville
Live And Acoustic At Stella Polaris

THE REVIEW

The common thread in Jimmy Somerville's career is certainly his passion for seventies dance music.

From the debut with Bronski Beat to the Communards project, the English singer has always been known for offering numerous covers (from Donna Summer to Gloria Gaynor, among others).

Truth be told, in the career of the famous falsetto, covers have been the real strengths - even more decisive than the original compositions.

However, in the last decade, Somerville's desire to tone down that pompous eighties sound has taken hold more and more. Initially with the tribute album Suddenly Last Summer, and subsequently with live performances.

The Stella Polaris is a beautiful Danish festival that mainly features artists who focus their work on electronic/chill out music. Among the various performances over the years, those of Groove Armada and Moby stand out.

Clearly, it's an ideal setting for an acoustic set.

The voice truly seems to be the same as thirty years ago; there's no particular strain evident from this recording, and even though I usually don’t care about technique when it comes to music, I have to say that Mr. Somerville is a pleasure to listen to.

Classics like Smalltown Boy, Why, and especially For A Friend gain much more intimacy in these new arrangements; thanks to the piano and guitar.

As I often emphasize, I am convinced that the beauty of a text can be better appreciated when the song is stripped down and made, if you will, more vulnerable.