RHUM

I will admit I approached listening to this CD with a certain amount of apprehension. Considering my unbridled passion for Torrini’s 2005 release Fisherman’s Woman, I was frightened my expectations would be too high. Basically, sequels and follow ups to masterpieces scare me and I still have recurring nightmares about ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”. But with Me and Armini, Torrini has managed to deliver satisfaction and top-notch quality indie-pop all the way.

Now of course there are some changes here and there. But they are changes one would expect when a songstress has obtained the ‘underground popularity’ many would give their right arm for. This album is polished, with high production values, and an overall very smooth sound indeed. This is particularly evident on folky-pop tracks such as ‘Big Jumps’, which is an I-pod commercial in the making, and ‘Hold Heart’; the sexiest piece of melancholy you are ever likely to find. Also worth special mention is ‘Beggar’s Prayer’; a return to the simple strings and the voice that makes Torrini so irresistible.  I only hope that this integrity lasts, and that the jingle of the music exec’s purse continues to be ignored.