Trying to Remember the French I Learned Posted over 2 years ago
http://www.carlabruni.com/Here's the Daily OM Review of Carla Bruni's 2002 album.February 13, 2007Quelqu'un M'a DitCarla Bruni 2002An Italian heiress and former supermodel, Carla Bruni lives the sort of charmed life that people envy, so of course more than just a few critics were expecting her debut album, Quelqu'un M'a Dit, to be a mere vanity project. But they were probably surprised when what they heard was not some overproduced, disposable pop but a mature, assured, gorgeously warm masterwork. Sexy without being crass and inviting without being obvious, Bruni plays acoustic guitar and sings with a hushed intimacy that dissolves the distance between singer and listener until it seems like she's singing these songs just for you. Her irresistibly warm, easy, and dusky voice invites you into her world with such friendly, catlike affection that you feel as if you are an honored guest in her house, lolling around on her sunny Riviera balcony in a post-brunch state of bliss while she plays you the songs she just wrote.Sung in French (Bruni was born in Italy but raised in France), the album has one of its bare feet in the world of traditional Parisian café music (as in the fast-talking, sing-song eloquence of "Tout Le Monde"), but its heart is squarely in the world of mellow, 1970s folk-rock as evinced by the lovely electric guitar solo in "La Ciel Une dans la Chambre." The title track (translation: "Someone told me") benefits from a sense of innocence, while in "Le Toi Du Moi," a slide guitar and piano combine as Bruni rattles out litanies of cliché love, as if trying to cram as much inside her songs as she can without breaking a sweat. She wrote all the songs, aside from a lovely Serge Gainsbourg cover, "Noyée," which further astounds the listener.The most revealing detail of Bruni's performance style may be the anecdote that she played all the songs on the album barefoot. Clearly this is a woman with nothing to prove by this album; she's already successful by any definition and now she's exploring her artistic voice. And what a voice that is! Aided by stunningly natural and warm production by French producer Louis Bertignac, Bruni's intimate, whispery vocals are like some beautiful dream, one where silver tea trays glisten in the Riviera sunshine, the smells of perfume, sand, and surf fill your nostrils, and a beautiful, loving woman waits by your side, acoustic guitar in hand.
Latest Posts on Carla Bruni
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
Comments (5)