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Bruni was a virtual unknown to me when by chance I first heard a selection of downloaded sample tracks from this CD. 'Quelqu'un m'a dit' was the first album release of Mlle Carla Bruni and every time it sends me to sleep, but I mean that as a complement. I think it's the manner in which Bruni's husky rasping voice utters those intimate French vowels, almost whispering at times, as if blowing sweet nothings in my ear. If only my school French mistress had spoken like this; I would have attended every lesson and passed my exams with flying tri-colours.
Carla Bruni is an Italian-born heiress, former supermodel and now the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. She received a lot of stick recently following an appearance on the Jules Holland show. I feel that this was more to do with her move into politics rather than a true appraisal of her musical talents. Admittedly Carla Bruni does not have the most spectacular vocal range and this debut album is not ground breaking by any means, but it still has a lot going for it. Although the album's producer, French guitarist Louis Bertignac, plays electric lead on some tracks, the CD is principally an acoustic recording. Apparently Carla plays some pretty nifty acoustic guitar on most of the tracks and it sounds like her ex-lover Eric Clapton gave her some good guitar lessons.
The CD comprises twelve gorgeously arranged tracks that together maintain a remarkable cohesiveness whilst simultaneously incorporating some surprisingly sophisticated lyrics. The album mixes the 'chanson' tradition with folk-rock influences to produce gentle intoxicating melodies all gloriously swathed in crafty acoustic nuances. The mood is never more animated than a gentle stroll down the Champs-Élysées in Spring time and those subtle shifts in tempo between tracks are like a shimmering Mediterranean breeze.
The sombre but sultry opening title track 'Quelqu'un M'A Dit' is a delightfully rendered ballad with violin backing alongside warm acoustic strumming. It's an inviting promise of what's to follow. You may recognise the playful melody of 'La Noyee' - it's a cover version of an old forgotten Serge Gainsbourg number on which Bruni's slow syrupy vocal drips over your senses like sweet remembered nocturnal nectar. Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre with its bluesy interludes on electric guitar is possibly the slowest paced track on the CD and the only one where Bruni slips back into her native Italian tongue. Perhaps the highlight of the album is 'Le Toi du Moi' - a wonderful piece of song writing with a quickly delivered lyric in which Carla has managed to expertly accumulate in verse more than fifty rhyming pairs of French nouns. What better way of practising your aural French?
The tempo only rises slightly with tracks such as 'Raphaël' and 'J'En Connais' - the former with some pleasant acoustic guitar and a clever lyric that skips along a little too fast for even part-time francophone 'moi' to grasp its meaning, but you don't need to speak 'parfait francais' in order to enjoy this charming set of chansons. 'J'En Connais' is a languid slow motion rollercoaster ride accompanied by sleek twangy folksy guitar. From the suave vocal on 'L'amour' to the final 'La Dernière Minute', these Gallic atmospheric tracks with their subtle shifts of tempo manage to maintain a slow burning languid mood throughout. All that remains is for you to lean back in your comfy chaise longue, pour a glass of Chardonnay and let Carla Bruni's arousing vocal induce silky shivers of pleasure up and down your… ooh la la!
'Quelqu'un m'a dit' is one impressive debut album.
Le Tracks: 1. Quelqu'un M'a Dit 2. Raphaël 3. Tout Le Monde 4. La Noyée 5. Le Toi Du Moi 6. Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre 7. J'en Connais 8. Le Plus Beau Du Quartier 9. Chanson Triste 10. L'excessive 11. L'amour 12. La Dernière Minute
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