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Emiliana Torrini Unveils New AlbumMe and Armini: A Fine Collection of Heartfelt, Folk-pop Ballads
Me and Armini's finely crafted songs reveal an old soul behind the pen of the thirtysomething songwriter, walking a line between tender vignettes and keen observations.
It has been three long years since Emiliana Torrini released the quietly brilliant Fisherman’s Woman, a minimalist album full of crippling narratives of loss and regret. It firmly put her on the singer-songwriter map, earning her critical kudos and a rabid fan base. Torrini returns with the lighter but no less concentrated Me and Armini, a collection of songs that should cement her reputation as a keen observer of love and life. The Icelandic-Italian chanteuse’s voice is more confident than ever, soaring over primarily acoustic instrumentation. What results is an enticing folk-pop potion with a decidedly European bent. Less Loss, More Love on Armini Me and Armini wastes no time in setting the mood with “Fireheads,” a funky mid-tempo number in which Torrini sings, “Somebody’s got a long way to go / You’re not sitting by the phone no more / You’re gonna throw it all away, crash it on a rock / So you can live your life.” While she was content to dwell on her life choices on Fisherman’s Woman, here Torrini is more interested in making up and moving on. The title track—a simmering raga dripping with longing—picks up the pace. “Some people say that I’m headed for a meltdown,” Torrini sings. “This I know, she doesn’t love you like I do / Yes it’s clear, she’ll never love you like me.” Torrini isn’t merely waiting for her love, she’s drawing a line in the sand. On “Heard it all Before,” Torrini allows her voice to tear loose. As the drums and guitars climax, it’s hard to imagine her not smiling as she sings, “You’ve heard it all before / My keys won’t fit that door / You want me here no more / I’m losing you once more.” Torrini’s Lush Orchestrations Balance Tender BalladsNot all is roses on Me and Armini. Just because Torrini’s happier in love and life doesn’t make her less a keen observer of society. While she hops between simple acoustic ballads and lush torch songs, it is “Gun” where she truly shines. The track is set against a menacing electric guitar lick and draped in reverb worthy of an aircraft hangar. “Every day I see you looking in / I’ll be the smoothest thing to touch your skin / You’re longing to be loved, but you’re alone / And your longing makes you shiver to the bone,” she sings from the perspective of a handgun. “Maybe you’ve been living lonely / While your woman has a fellow on the side / Your kids keep telling jokes that ain’t that funny / And you failed in everything that comes to mind.” By the song’s end, the protagonist (or antagonist) turns to the gun for restitution against a philandering wife, but finds only cold and empty solace as he turns the gun on himself. It is chilling depiction of a character spiraling out of control. Luckily, the balance of Me and Armini is a breezy affair, with Torrini’s simple and direct vignettes each offering a small glimpse of a writer fully coming into her own. While Fisherman’s Woman unloaded the baggage of life, Torrini seems to have made it to the other side of the rainbow with Armini. “Big Jumps,” “Jungle Drums,” and the title track are all exhilarating soundtracks to a late summer romance. When Torrini sings, “Man, you got me burnin’,” you can’t help but believe her.
The copyright of the article Emiliana Torrini Unveils New Album in Indie Pop Music is owned by Lee Simmons. Permission to republish Emiliana Torrini Unveils New Album in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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