EMILIANA TORRINI
LOVE IN THE TIME OF SCIENCE
ALBUM ONE LITTLE INDIAN, VIRGIN RELEASE: JANUARY 31, 2000 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 17, 2000


It's debut albums like these which maintains my curiousity when I go through several new albums each day year after year. Most CD:s are nothing special, but a few times every year something wonderful comes along.
Emiliana Torrini is a girl that will be compared to Björk until death. She's a strong solo artist from Iceland (half Italian). She travelled to England to record music for the same label as Björk, One Little Indian. And most of all, she sounds similar.
But no need to worry. Even though she is an unknown 21 year young artist, she is far from a wannabe and the music stands very well on its own.
Torrini has more real, laidback songs of the same kind and she does well without most of the crazieness and experimentalism of Björk as well as the dance aspect. Torrini's unique voice has a great personality of its own. This album is about beautiful, melancholic and emotional songs. They are performed around Torrini's voice with modern electronics mixed with traditional instruments and orchestrations with a touch of classic music and musicals. The sound is quite mainstream at first glance, but has a coolness and depth which grows over time. Every song could be a single and three singles have already been released; some of the best songs on the album - "Dead Things", "To be Free" and "Baby Blue". The fresh production (by Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal), as well as everything else, is simply perfect. What can I say, I'm stunned and I love it.

MIKAEL KAHRLE