Eleni Mandell

Artificial Fire

(Zedtone)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

I haven’t actually gotten around to listening to Eleni Mandell since her album Thrill came out back in 2000. I don’t have a good reason for that, and I’m sorry. I think I even wrote a little review for that release, and saw her perform – I’m thinking it was at the old Sit & Spin in Seattle. I’m just bringing this all up because I was really impressed by the music, and really enjoyed myself at the show. So between then and now, there have been five releases. This review swoops down and hits on the fifth.

Seriously, I don’t know what happened to the other four. I have no doubts that they were cool and smooth, and evidently, at least one of them was a little bit country, as well. I have a feeling though, that it all just slid by me as I was busy not listening. You can’t really hear this music unless you listen. I don’t mean that it’s bad, but it’s just subtle. It’s cool smooth seduction that hits with a bit of blue velvet jazz and a little stylish splash of New York rain. Not the downpour kind, just that light wisp that hits your cheek and makes you feel a little like springtime.

There are definitely darker tunes on this album, but Eleni Mandell has this way of spinning those shadowed tones around her fingers until your grinning like a Frank Sinatra streetlight.