Lessons to Be Learned

by

Gabriella Cilmi

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A number have people have found success in recent times, after allowing one of their songs to be used in a TV commercial. Off the top of my head I can think of people like José González, Feist, Yael Naim...

Well, now we can add to that list the name of Australian songstress Gabriella Cilmi (pronounced "chill me"), who generated quite a buzz here in the UK after her sparkly song "sweet about me" was used to promote a new 'upside down' version of a deodorant for women. On it she sings: "If there's lessons to be learned/ I'd rather get my jamming words in first oh/ Tell ya something that I've found/ That the world's a better place when it's upside down boy", so you can see how it ties in neatly with the product in question. I certainly wanted to know who the song was by and it was my main man Joe who came to my rescue, put me out of my misery and told me who it was. (Thanks Joe!)

For me, none of the other songs match the sheer magic of "sweet about me", sadly, (and it is available as a single) but this is no one-hit album. Other notable tracks include the groovy opener, "save the lies", the mournful "sanctuary", "einstein", the amazingly infectious "don't want to go to bed now", "messy", the pleading ballad "safer", "sit in the blues" and the UK bonus track, "echo beach", a thumping, electric guitar-driven number. Joseph didn't think that I'd like this album but I so do. It's so fresh!

Cilmi's spine-chilling voice reminds me of someone else's but up until now, I've not been able to put my finger on who that might be. (A cross between Jill Scott and Amy Winehouse, dare I suggest?) Her sound is definitely her own though and she delivers it refreshingly and assurdly on this release. Production is by Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes) and I have to agree with the editorial on this one: this is pop perfection with a twist.

I have a feeling she's going to do well with this, particularly in this country and across Europe, where 'quirky' and 'difficult-to-categorise' are often quicker to find favour than they are in the US. The album climbed up to #8 on the UK Top 40 this week, while the single is at #19, which is telling in itself. It's a pity there are no sound clips but if you were looking for some left-of-centre music and a female singer with a quirky, unique and unbridled vocal style, this one's for you. Highly recommended.

I've been subjected to this album many times in my workplace now and I would like to say a few words about. I don't like it one little bit. The songs and their lyrics are trite, trivial and bleedin' obvious. The vocal approach is undisciplined and "whiney" - think sub-Duffy. The melodies of the songs are very average.

The whole thing is rather tedious and juvenile, which is to be expected from a girl of Ms Cilmi's tender years, I suppose. If she kept quiet for a few years and perfected her art away from the public, she might develop into an interesting performer. The way she is going, however, in two years she will be "Gabriella who?".

This one gets my "Sandi Thom" award for the month.

Dare I say it, 'kill me' if I ever have to hear this trashy album again!