Tunes for [Wednes]days: Emilíana Torrini

Alas -- last night capped off a rather rough day chez Moffatt. I ran for the hills (RE: the bedroom) and drowned in a staggering amount of anime. Amidst all the randomness of the Internet and a couple rounds on iTunes, I found one voice to lure me out from that funk and back to a quiet place.

Her name is Emilíana Torrini and she is about to seduce my stereo speakers away from the world.

Ms. Torrini is another gem given to me by The Advocate. Our group has taken to swapping mix CDs like we passed secret, gossip-drenched notes in high school and, for a music buff like myself, I can think of nothing to spawn greater happiness. From The Advocate's own Mixed CD of le Awesome, Emilíana Torrini's voice stood out and struck the right chord to find herself featured for this Tunes for [Wednes]days segment.

Ms. Torrini was born and raised in Iceland where she entered the music scene at the mere age of seven. As a side note, we share the same birthday (May 16th) which means I was meant to discover her. It was in the stars. *Cute wink* At the impressionable age of 17, Ms. Torrini gained national recognition after winning the song competition of junior colleges in Iceland (Söngkeppni framhaldsskólanna) with her rendition of "I Will Survive."

Ms. Torrini garnered vast critical acclaim with her first international release, Love in the Time of Science (1999) -- however, she built a solid career for herself at home in Iceland with three local releases including Spoon (1994), Crouçie D'où Là (1995), and Merman (1996). Wow. Three new albums released in three consecutive years? I feel exhausted on her behalf with that workload. She's dedicated to her talent and that drive is evident in her delicate, often melancholic tracks.

Most audiences across the globe will recognize Emilíana Torrini's voice from a little film created by Peter Jackson. Maybe you've heard of it -- does Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ring a bell? It was Ms. Torrini who laid down the vocals for "Gollum's Song," the track playing at the end of the film. I know, a bit obscure. Maybe she'll find greater fame later in her career. *End cheeky sarcasm*

On that note, I would like to share the same track The Advocate shared with me. Despite the palpable melancholy throughout "Today Has Been Okay," it's still uplifting. It's a track to validate sorrows with, even while it reinforces the backbone needed to move beyond the mental static. Powerful properties for such a gentle, minimalist song, I should think.

(P.S. -- Apologies for the inherent lameness of the video. It's a slideshow. I know. It was was sparse hunting for videos with this track featured in it.)

Mmm, sad with a head full of dreams. It's quite the compelling mix. Now, before readers start to think she's another one of those introspective, depressive singer-songwriter types, I would also like to draw attention to her cute-as-a-button track/video "Jungle Drum" off her 2008 album Me and Armini. I like the impish grin and the bright shock of music here. It's a welcome burst of energy after a slew of quiet songs.

I think the general consensus on that work is, "AWWWW!" *Heart*

As I stated before, I get the impression she will launch a coup over the ol' iTunes in these parts. I'm a sucker for a sweet voice and hypnotic hooks which, gladly, Emilíana Torrini has vast amounts of. I'm not sure what's mixed into the water there in Iceland but, whatever it is, the stuff has magical properties to it.

Note to self: Next trip --> Reykjavík.

Here I come.