Eleni Mandell – Miracle Of Five Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 02.14.2007
Sexy torch songstress returns with another country-tinged set…
My Story
I’m a music lover. Music does it for me. I’ve already professed my taste for 90’s female rockers, like Sheryl Crow and Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette. Something about their hint of aggression is amazingly sexy. And yes, rocker chicks like your Amy Lees and your Meredith Brookses are good for a roll in the hay (or two, or ten), but in the end, when you get home at the end of the week and it’s late on Friday night and you don’t feel like going out…that’s when you need your Norah Jones. You can take Norah Jones home to mom. You can run late on a date and Norah Jones will forgive you.
Eleni Mandell used to be a Fiona Apple, but lately she’s becoming a Norah Jones. How does she sound?
Her Story
Eleni Mandell spent her early years in California’s San Fernando Valley. Growing up, she was a fan of bands like L.A. punk act X, but, while attending Berkeley College, her first live performances showed more of a debt to gritty singer/songwriters like Tom Waits. In 1998, Mandell self-released her debut album, Wishbone. The set had the good fortune of being produced by Jon Brion, who was coming off some successful work with acts like Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann and The Eels. Critics were impressed by Mandell’s raw songwriting, drawing comparions to folks like PJ Harvey, and good things were predicted for the young artist.
With her second album, Thrill, Mandell began to more embrace her hipster cabaret sound, writing and playing song with so much coolness, they could only be described as “noir” and “niche”. 2002’s Snakebite produced similar results.
In 2003, Mandell changed things up a bit. She signed to Toronto-based Zedtone Records and began work on an album full of country covers called Country For True Lovers. With her sexy, wry delivery, critics applauded Mandell’s versatility and praised Country as an inspired album. 2004’s Afternoon returned Mandell back to her jazzy, alt-pop/rock element.
Recently, Mandell returned to the studio, but with a new formula and producer, to work on her latest release.
The Album
On February 6, 2007, Zedtone Records released Miracle Of Five, the sixth album by Eleni Mandell and the follow-up to 2004’s Afternoon.
The Band: 9.0
Eleni Mandell: Nylon stringed guitar, vocals
Miracle Of Five was recorded in a different was than Eleni Mandell’s previous efforts. As it happened, producer Andy Kaulkin (who is only making his second appearance as a producer here) recorded Mandell doing a set of new songs using only her acoustic guitar. Kaulkin and Mandell then went into the studio and brought in several musicians to build around those tracks. You would think a detached approach like that would take away from the feel of the album, but Miracle Of Five benefits from its “from the ground up” polish and comes off sounding slick, jazzy and still warm.
Mandell’s vocals here are as sexy as ever, though there’s much more sweetness than you would expect from an L.A. torch singer known for her smoky, sensual style. Mandell glides through the songs with a breathy vocal delivery that will ultimately leave you nostalgic for a time you didn’t know you’d missed. She’s a singer’s singer, deservedly once named as “the best unsigned artist in the business”.
Another great thing about the method of recording is how open these songs sound, giving the players room to explore the space and produce a genuine, haunting feeling. The use of instruments like celeste, vibes, and oh so much brass gives Miracle the noir atmosphere that Mandell fans have come to expect.
The Songs: 7.0
1. Moonglow, Lamp Low
2. Girls
3. My Twin
4. Salt Truck
5. Wings In His Eyes
6. Make-Out King
7. Miracle Of Five
8. Perfect Stranger
9. Dear Friend
10. Somebody Else
11. Beautiful
12. Miss Me
Eleni Mandell’s songwriting on this record seems to be thoroughly entrenched in the subject of relationships. The good, the bad and the ugly of it all. The songs come off as very personal, a journal entry from somebody who happens to be much better at expressing themselves than you, but they always contain a relatability that will charm you. This record really captures the wistfulness of love, in its atmosphere, its detail and its words, especially.
There’s also a lot of country on this record, perhaps songs influenced by Mandell’s well received country set. Once again, you’ll find Mandell owing more to Aimee Mann than PJ Harvey, but, hearing this CD, it’s hard to call that a bad thing. The more country tunes like the jazz/country hybrid “Moonglow, Lamp Low”, the pretty “Salt Truck” and the gorgeous “Miss Me” are definitely album highlights.
If this album has a downfall, it’s the singular mindedness as, lyrically, these songs start to blend together (especially if you’re a guy, I mean, come on, there’s only so much we can take). Still, the arrangements are enough to make each song worth a listen and many of them worth several.
The 411: Eleni Mandell finds a balance between her torch song and country personalities on Miracle Of Five, an album so sophisticated that you’ll not only feel warmer but smarter for listening to it. Comparisons to Aimee Mann will surely continue, but Mandell’s vocals are so wonderful that you can’t help but be in awe, no matter who she sounds like. And she sounds great here; bringing blues, jazz and alt country music and delivering it in a sexy, sensual package that will leave you feeling wistful, nostalgic and ready for more.
