Artist: Camille
Label: Virgin Records
Release: 2008
Rating: 3.5/5
Camille is a young French singer who, despite her age, already has quite a bit of experience on the music scene. This time she introduces herself with her new album Music Hole, which shows her love for one of the best instruments there is – the human voice. And you couldn’t ask for a better introduction, because Camille shines as a gorgeous singer all the way through the record.
The big focus with Camille is on the vocals, which are layered throughout. Sometimes there’s no other instrument at all. It’s a bit like listening to Bobby McFerrin. Considering Camille is a fairly young artist, the execution is phenomenally polished. There’s always one main vocal melody up front, while in the background there are so many interwoven smaller melodies that sometimes you can’t even count them. If you want to really get this album, you simply have to put in a bit more effort than you would for some pop thing.
The music is full of varied influences. You hear a lot of singer-songwriter stuff of the kind a Tory Amos or Kate Bush would do. Then there’s plenty of soul and r’n’b, which are present the whole way through. The operatic interlude on The Monk is a big surprise, and later on that same song you also catch other styles. There are lots of experimental bits with Camille too, like with a Bjork or Tori Amos, but done in a different, very much her own way. Precisely because there’s so much experimentation, I’d have a hard time filing her under alternative pop – I’d almost rather put her in the avant-garde, though even that isn’t quite right. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t some pointless wandering around in effects-land, not at all. The music is extremely melodic throughout, but the arrangements are so unusual that they have a lot in common with avant-garde artists.
Besides singing, Camille also plays piano, which always takes a back seat to the vocals with their remarkably polished arrangements. Here and there the guest musicians add some percussion, and now and then someone else lends their vocal cords too. Camille is of course the most striking, with an incredible range. On one track she gently pokes fun at Mariah Carey, saying she wants to be like Mariah and then belting out some unbelievably high notes. The funniest part is that she doesn’t seem to be trying all that hard. So Mariah Carey isn’t the only one who can hit crazy high notes, she’s just the most in the spotlight.
I think I can say without hesitation that Camille is very unique. You can hear some influences, but she ties it all into something completely new, and on top of that adds a ton of her own ideas. Even though there’s some pop, soul and r’n’b in the music, the whole time it feels like you’re listening to an alternative, experimental and avant-garde creation. This one’s for everyone who respects beautiful and technically skilled vocals and isn’t afraid of experimenting and mixing genres. You won’t regret it.
Lineup
Camille – vocals, piano, percussion
Majiker – piano, percussion, vocals
Sly Johnson – vocals
Fernando Barba – percussion
Marcello Pretto – vocals
Jamie Cullum – piano, percussion
Katherine Sowerby – percussion
Vicent Milner – sound effects
Production
Camille and Majiker
Tracklist
1. Gospel with No Lord
2. Canards Sauvages
3. Home Is Where It Hurts
4. Kfir
5. The Monk
6. Cats And Dogs
7. Money Note
8. Katie’s Tea
9. Winter’s Child
10. Waves
11. Sanges Sweet
