Wednesday 2 November 2011

Camille - Le Fil [2005], Music Hole [2008]

Camille Encore

Both these albums portray the vocal virtuosity of this French songstress and also the playfulness and experimentation underpinning her performances.


Sophomore release Le Fil is the most consistently vocal of the three I have reviewed [though depending on the order read....]. It is sung entirely in French which adds an obvious nuance. Each song is literally linked by le fil, a drone-thread that is most evident at the beginning of each new track but which merges easily within and across each song as it is being sung. There is plenty of the playful vocal pyrotechnics, with percussive sounds and multi-tracking of the vocal, but it isn't as infantile [not a criticism] as it is on her latest release. Stunning singing.


Music Hole is more expansive, with other vocals/voices, and there is occasionally a soul/funk groove as with opening track Gospel With No Lord. The whole album is more varied and experimental with the layering and contortions of the singing and accompanying vocals. Kfir is again quite funky but also permeated with plosive breathsounds and bassbeats and then tangential sweet vocal harmonising and then a gospel chorus. The following The Monk is gloriously operatic. Complex and creative stuff, perhaps genius.

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