I Know I’m Bad To Jump On You Like This

Emiliana Torrini
Fisherman’s Woman

Here’s another album that’s been on my Wish List for at least a couple of years now, and that I’ve always somehow managed to pass up in favour of something else. Thankfully, I’ve finally corrected that criminal mistake.

Emiliana Torrini’s first album, ‘Love In The Time of Science’ was one of my favourites in my last year of high school, and first year of uni – I was hooked by ‘Unemployed in Summertime’ when it was free on the front of the now-defunct Sky magazine. She has a unique voice filled with range and character, simultaneously coy and exuberant, and her line delivery effortless wrings emotion from every song, from downturned wistfulness to wry, self-effacing smiles that act as ellipses to softly sung tales of youthful excess.

If anything, this was the album I was hoping she would make after her debut; less hung up on sonic experimentation and washes of digitally-enhanced sound, more focused on the pleasure of song and voice, bathing the listener in warm tones, like a welcome phone call from an old friend.

There are some stunning, understated tracks on this record. ‘Heartstopper’ is beautiful, ‘Snow’ is short but sweet, while ‘Lifesaver’ has some wonderful fingerpicking and breathy vocals – although it does sound like a hymn to Luke Skywalker’s favourite weapon at times.

It’s an album that, like the Kings of Convenience, is to be listened to at the top of a Norwegian waterfall on a sunny evening as the light fails. Yet another needlessly delayed purchase, and a superb, reflective record you should all own!

'Fisherman's Woman' at Amazon