What does Emiliana Torrini sound like?

Trip-hop Icelandic quirky pop-infused seduction and melancholy.

The review of ‘Miss Flower’ by Emiliana Torrini

A decade since her last solo album, Emiliana Torrini and her silky dreamy voice returns with one of her more eclectic releases to date. As someone who pendulum swings around folk, trip-hop, electronica, Icelandic pop and classic rock, it’s incredibly difficult to pin Torrini down into one area. This album merges elements from all that and introduces us to the playful and sultry side. That said, this is closer to ‘Love In The Time of Science’ from her discography than anything else she’s released before.

photo of Emiliana Torrini — Emiliana Torrini

The seeds for this album are worth sharing before we dive in. Emiliana used a collection of letters from a mysterious lady called Geraldine Flower. The letters detail lust, heartbreak, turning down suitors, and espionage, and Torrini wrote her lyrics from there. It must have influenced the album’s sound too as the overarching sound is slinky. Most of the tracks have a low-slung trip-hop beat to them as if we’re moving in the shadows. Emiliana’s voice sells that mood too as her vocal delivery has an angelic husky whispered smoothness unlike any other. She lures you in with her captivating voice and mysterious lyrics and the music follows the mood.

‘Black Water’ opens the album with spoken word verses and Tookah-esque deep bass beats and bubbles. It is cinematic like a film noir diary entry and sets the mood. Deeply taut atmospherics give way to the more chatty ‘Lady K’ which evokes a ticking time bomb. All the drums click and clack away but so do the synths too. Torrini’s faster vocals give the song agency as if we’re trying to complete the mission that’s going askew. The lyrics speak of taking Lady K for granted and the lighter beats turn into heavy trip-hop loops for ‘Waterhole’. The repetition of the lyric ‘you really messed up’ and the spooky jungle haze of the track makes the track stand out. Torrini has always used a wide range of instruments and this track has crickets, marimbas and all kinds of electronics kicking off. She uses them subtly though which means you’ll discover new sounds upon each listen.

‘Dreamers’ harks to the Fisherman’s Women era with folk taking the lead initially. Reminding me of Bic Runga and Utada Hikaru’s ‘Fantome’ era, Torrini brings a full acoustic band to the track for an adult classic pop track. It has a magical majesty to it as the track opens up in the second half. From dreaming about love, ‘Miss Flower’ dreams of lust. The Latin guitar and tuned percussion elements are underplayed as we whisper what we want to happen behind closed doors. It is one of the more poetic horny tracks I’ve heard since Camile’s ‘Fountain au Lait’. The grinding groove is intentionally seductive too. Moving into finger-snaps and jaunty seaside rock guitar from the 60s, ‘Black Lion Lane’ is the uptempo pop single for the album. Emiliana Torrini has a knack for making an outrageously uplifting summer track for each album. This is it for ‘Miss Flower’ and it will be a great soundtrack for partying with friends. Beachboys gets drunk wasn’t on my bingo card…

There is a Latin edge throughout the album and ‘Let’s Keep Dancing’ merges that with electronic seduction. I’m reminded of the darker side of Torrini’s catalogue like ‘Speed of Dark’ but we’re in a 3 am bar about to invite someone home. Summer, sweat, heat and feeling on heat are what I take away from this track. That sex appeal is stripped back on ‘Love Poem’ which sings of summer love. A single rubbery synth warbles under Emiliana’s voice but the chords veer off into unusual patterns as if something isn’t quite right. Add to that the entire track has a cracked ice and bird sonar sound adding unique textures – it’s hypnotic and entrancing.

After all the sex, seduction and intimate details have been undressed, the album ends on a more wholesome and reflective tone. ‘The Golden Thread’ is a milky and dewy piano and synth-drenched ballad. I can taste the sepia oozing from the organs and glissando synths as we again sing of love lost and missed. The closing track is a piano instrumental piece. ‘A Dream Through the Floorboards’ feels like we’ve put the letters in a box and placed it under a floorboard. The piano has a vintage roomy tone as if each letter is resonating throughout the house and it is a poignant way to close the album out.

Part of the fun with Emiliana Torrini is you are never sure which direction she’ll take you. I wasn’t expecting sensual, sexy secret agent parties with hot lovers needs to be met with ‘Miss Flower’ but met they were. Seeping romance, pheromones and danger out of every bar of music, this is a captivating album. It is less direct than some of her previous work, but Emiliana Torrini strikes gold again.

Recommended track: Let’s Keep Dancing

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