Search - Camille :: Music Hole

Pop delights.

kons | 04/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 30-year-old French Camille Dalmais is still very much her own woman. And as she sings in English for the first time here, she's still venturing into pretty much unexplored vocal territory. But despite the one obvious comparison to Bobby McFerrin and to Bjork's largely a cappella album, "Medulla", "Music Hole" serves up a different kind of quirk, irony and melodic charisma.

Every track on 2005's "Le Fil" was based around the same single droning note - which was mistaken by some purchasers for a manufacturing fault - an avant-garde conceit that didn't prevent it going gold and winning the French equivalent of both the Brit award.

"Music Hole" dispenses with the drone and offers lyrics in English, but otherwise sticks with its predecessor's approach. There are odd shadings of piano and electronics and a handful of sound effects - "Money Note", a witty satire of the vocal histrionics employed by Mariah Carey, features a rhythm of clattering coins.

Otherwise, virtually every sound you hear is made by Camille herself.

"Take the Money Note" which fittingly pokes fun at divas, including Mariah Carey's penchant for ridiculously high notes: "If Dolly Parton wrote it/ And Whitney Houston stole it/If Celine Dion could reach it/ I'll hit the money note". This before breaking into an old school electronic house climax as Camille wails: "I just wanna beat Mariah! Where she herself hits a note that will make your dog's ears bleed!".

Her signature style of looped vocal scatting is still present, with instruments and electronics taking a back seat.With minimal assistance to her voice, she manages variously to tackle introspective r 'n' b balladry on "Waves" and tribally infused, uplifting gospel on "Canards Sauvages", where she sounds like she's splashing with ducks in the bath.

"The Monk" is lushly romantic, the leisurely "Gospel With No Lord" describes itself, while "Cats and Dogs" is a playful reminder that animal inscrutability does not equal intelligence.

The French singer has a remarkable voice of extraordinary range and clarity, prompting comparisons with Björk, Kate Bush and even Céline Dion. "Gospel With No Lord" and "Canards Sauvages" are instantly friendly Europop, frisky and quirkily tuneful. Camille, however, aspires to greater heights.

"Home Is Where It Hurts" recalls the brooding beauty of Massive Attack, as does the cinematic storytelling "Winter Child", where the singer pushes her voice into remarkable places. In "Katie's Tea", a veritable choir of Camille's spiral deliriously upwards towards a place that could reasonably be described as pop heaven.

Les Sac des Filles

Le Fil

Medúlla

The Best of Bobby McFerrin"

She Aims For F#7, To Take Us All To Heaven

Liam F. | Melbourne, VIC Australia | 04/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What an exhilarating and interesting journey MUSIC HOLE is. From start to end, I was intrigued by what vocal arrangement would follow next. Even after repeated listens, I seem to enjoy this record more and more. In this regard, Camille is a genius at what she does and she engaged me from the very first line of "Allez Camille Allez".



On the third album from French favourite, Camille Dalmais, songs are sung mainly in English, with French verses so catchy they stay in your head. Then again, she does make all sorts of sounds humanly (and perhaps inhumanly) possible. This whole album is composed mainly of Camille beat-boxing, wailing, repeating words again and again, singing, and the occasional feature of Jamie Cullum on piano on several tracks.



Let me pick a few highlights from MUSIC HOLE. Double lead singles "Gospel With No Lord" and "Money Note" are immediately catchy. "Money Note", composed of human voices and piano, is so musically solid you'd think there was a whole live band behind it. On this track, Camille mocks Mariah Carey, claiming that she can do a Money Note by hitting Mariah Carey's uber-screech. Camille does it, but makes a fool of herself (on purpose) at the end by getting it simply all wrong. By the end of the song, you'll have in your head "dollar, dollar, dollar" - the backing `instrumentation'. "Gospel With No Lord" has Camille playing with words like she's been singing in English forever.



Another favourite that makes me laugh is "Cats and Dogs". Aptly titled! Camille orchestrates a whole zoo on this song! The song starts off like something Edith Piaf would sing, but gets all dramatic and silly at the end, with Camille wailing all over the place. But you can tell, she meant for this song to sound exactly like that and her bravery and sense of humour comes through. "Canards Sauvages" conjures up imagery of a tropical jungle. "Home Is Where It Hurts" is a very cool song. It starts with muted bass, and after a verse and chorus, erupts into a hard-hitting, thumping track. Camille ends "Winter's Child" with a guttural note, as if she was holding on to dear life. "The Monk" is piano with Camille making different `sounds', adding layer upon layer until it becomes a wonderful kaleidoscope of sound and music towards the end.



Above all, Camille summons the actress in her to present diversity and entertaining roles on MUSIC HOLE. She does comedian (on Money Note), she does outrageously over-the-top for the sake of it (on Cats and Dogs), she does drama (on Home Is Where It Hurts), she does miming (The Monk) and she does tragedy (Winter Child). Every song sees her playing a different character.



This is a fantastic album through and through. You might think that an album made up of human voices and occassional piano tinkling would lean towards an acquired taste (a la Bjork), but no, this CD is easy to listen to, the melodies are instantly recognisable and all in all great fun. I had a great time listening to it, and still do. I'd recommend that you pick it up too."