Emiliana Torrini – Fisherman’s Woman
Emiliana Torrini’s bio reveals that she sang the “Gollum’s Song” on the Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack, co-wrote Kylie Minogue’s hit “Slow”, and had her trip-hoppy debut co-produced by Tears For Fears’ Roland Orzabal. Never mind those associations: For on her sophomore effort, the half-Icelandic, half-Italian, U.K.-based singer has left behind the dance beats and pop sheen for something far more personal and intimate. Hewing more to the stripped-down, confessional sound of Nick Drake or Richard Buckner, Torrini makes delicate yet emotionally stirring music that frequently feels like you’re eavesdropping on someone baring her soul to a former lover. The disc’s intense intimacy does grow a little claustrophobic, as there is a general sameness to these quiet, spare songs. But Torrini, whose lilting, ethereal voice at times suggests Norah Jones and British folk-rock songstress Eddi Reader, draws you into her stark, wintry world, reminding that sometimes a whisper can be as powerful as a scream.