Belinda Carlisle's "Voila," her first new album in a decade, and her first sung entirely in French, is a radical departure for the pop diva and leader of the Go-Gos. Carlisle has fashioned an album that pays tribute to ... more »classic French songs of the `40s, `50s and `60s and proves good songs are universal and need no translation to work their exhilarating magic. "Voila" contains a bonus disc with English versions of four tracks from the album. Bonus tracks include "I Still Love Him," "La Vie en Rose," "Bonnie and Clyde" and "If You Go Away."« less
Belinda Carlisle's "Voila," her first new album in a decade, and her first sung entirely in French, is a radical departure for the pop diva and leader of the Go-Gos. Carlisle has fashioned an album that pays tribute to classic French songs of the `40s, `50s and `60s and proves good songs are universal and need no translation to work their exhilarating magic. "Voila" contains a bonus disc with English versions of four tracks from the album. Bonus tracks include "I Still Love Him," "La Vie en Rose," "Bonnie and Clyde" and "If You Go Away."
"For those who think Belinda Carlisle's career peaked with "Heaven Is a Place on Earth," (her subsequent, brilliant albums woefully overlooked in the U.S.) with VOILA, they've got an earth-shattering surprise of the most delightful kind in store. Those of us who've heard Belinda Carlisle perform live know that she is the real deal -- a genuine talent with a fantastic range and charisma to spare -- and VOILA finds her attaining an entirely new level of achievement that's genuinely thrilling. You've got to admire an artist who challenges herself with a project like this...and hits it "out of the ballpark." While the material is classic, here it is never derivative and often very surprising, with adventurous instrumentation, arrangements, production and, of course, Carlisle's flawless singing.
VOILA is Belinda Carlisle's "tour de force." Don't miss it!"
Ooh La La
KEEPitREAL | LA | 02/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Belinda Carlisle takes an ooh la la stance on affairs of the heart with this highly-anticipated release. Heavenly and hook-laden in the 80's, Belinda sheds her polished Regan-era image for French street cred and the result is an eclectic array of songs dealing with such timeless themes heartache, lust, and of course, love.
Sharpening her teeth on the French language, Belinda places an erratic spin on such themes by feeding off a number of musical genres for this release including folk, dance, and electronic indie numbers. "Bonnie Et Clyde" sounds fitting for an obscure French spy movie, while "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp" aches with Belinda's pitch-perfect wail in the background, fitting for a French-Middle Eastern fusion. Entering campy territory with "Contact", listeners will quickly note a Belinda left uncovered in the past: a woman on the verge of taking a risk."
Belinda Carlisle Shines
Sarah Predmore | Warwick, NY | 03/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I must say that Belinda makes a definitive comeback with her new album, Voila. I was a little skeptical at first, about how this album may be (since it's sung entirely in french). I must say I was simply blown away when listening to, Voila. Belinda's voice sounds better than ever, and her french is simply hypnotic. I'm so excited for her and recommend this album to any Belinda Carlisle/Go-Go's fan."
Carlisle's Return
white86 | Greenville,NC | 03/11/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Belinda Carlisle has returned to the music industry and to my ears...it's a welcomed return. Even though the cd is entirely sung in French, it's one of her best (and I don't even speak the language). The cd I bought also came with an extra cd of four of the songs sung in English and I actually prefer the french versions. Her vibrato wraps around these songs like they were made for each other. A MUST have for any Carlisle fan."