Search - Carmen Consoli :: Dueparole

First step of one of most talented Italian songwriter

atv2k | 01/18/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen Consoli is a songwriter, she is a woman, she's from Sicily, a land where girls, in general, are still suffering of some social pressures stating that women should deliver children and not best selling albums. Emerging from this underground environment, Carmen proposes her style, which is simple, scratching, deep. Artists from Sicily have to fight first of all to impose their creativity, and later to convince the rest of the country that they are not only limited to "Sicilian".In Italy, when you are ready to sell yourself, record companies send you to the Sanremo Festival, which is the best place where a young artist can jump into heaven or being smashed for good. Carmen followed the same path and people warmly welcomed her song, whereas watching by curious eye this little girl who looked like a boy, with her short hair and with that huge guitar on her arms. The most important thing was being noticed, Carmen didn't failed, so that on the same year she released her first album, "Due Parole" (Two Words), including her Sanremo Festival's debut single "Amore di Plastica" (Plastic Love), which is the one and only catchy song on this CD (and I'm not saying this as a negative thing).The production seems to limit on purpose Carmen's talent, especially in most of the arrangements, which are still very classical and almost acoustical, at this stage. Nothing to do with her following works, such as "Mediamente Isterica" (Averagely hysterical), where noisy electric guitars cover her voice and create a messy positive and powerful energy."Due Parole" is quiet, introspective, sometimes difficult to listen too. Although some songs are very enjoyable, as "Quello che sento" (What I feel) and "Fino a quando" (Until when), I would not suggest to a potential buyer to get this CD first. Her second album, five stars "Confusa e felice" (1997, Puzzled and Happy) is surely more affordable and contains several air-played tracks. Carmen Consoli is a real artist, that is she's following a path, maturing and improving but also changing, so that the chronological order could be a disappointment. Buy this CD if you want to know where all began, or if you think that she has some potential, but you consider her latest songs on "Stato di Necessità" (2000, Condition of Need) as a little too commercial."