The delicate, folksy Emiliana Torrini you hear on Fisherman's Woman might not be one you know if you heard her previous record, 1999's Love In The Time Of Science . Recorded with Roland Orzabel of Tears For Fears, it was a pleasant enough listen, but did little to distinguish this Italian-Icelandic chanteuse from the trip-hop competition. Fisherman's Woman , however, is quite different: debuting a rustic edge possibly prompted by the acclaim that met "Gollum's Song", a track that Torrini contributed to the score of Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, these tracks harness her gentle, honey-sweet vocals to finger-picked acoustic guitar, gentle wisps of piano, and the chime of xylophone. The work of Nick Drake is a common reference point for music like this, but here it's certainly valid: shades of Pink Moon haunt the perimeter of tracks like "Lifesaver", simultaneously eerie and exquisite in its quiet beauty. The album highlight, meanwhile, comes with "Honeymoon Child" – a track written with Bill Callahan of American lo-fi institution Smog that's as enigmatic – and consequently, as strangely fascinating – as anything he's ever performed himself. --Louis Pattison
|
|
|
