Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

Once upon a time there was a woman named Emiliana Torrini, a name so intensely Italian-sounding that listeners were clearly going to become spellbound by her gentle Mediterranean, feminine rasp.  Once upon a time, Torrini released an album called Fisherman’s Woman, an ironic title for a female singer-songwriter that sang with such authority and power.  And that was only when she was just being noticed.  Only 31, and with her third full length album Me and Armini pending release on September 9th, this Italian-Icelandic singer songwriter continues to impress and prove that the fairy tale is indeed real.

Torrini’s (full name: Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir) most obvious asset is her own unEarthly voice-a croon so exquisite and delicate (cute?) that surely she could not be from this planet.  Yet her lyrics focusing on love, nature, and the sea couldn’t sound more human.  On Me and Armini, Torrini takes her abilities to a new level, as she incorporates more instrumentation (basslines!!)  and contemporary folk sensibilities into her already developed lyrical style.  The Sting-esque “Heard it All Before” is the most upbeat number, filled with hand-clapping and an organ-guitar fusion.  “Fireheads” opens up the album with a catchy bassline that quickly becomes infectious with the sound of Torrini’s voice.  The title track “Me and Armini” is a reggae-influenced arrangement that showcases her impressive versatility, while “Birds” harkens back to Fisherman’s Woman with the slow-rolling seductiveness of Torrini.  “Big Jumps” has Emiliana at her ‘cutest’; you may just have to listen to understand how talented she really is!  Indeed, sometimes fairy tales only exist in books and movies; but why not real life? Or, at least in music.

Get your copy of Me and Armini.

Listen to “Big Jumps”

Listen to “Heard it all Before“