If you told me back in the 80's that I'd buy an album by Carla Bruni, I'd probably start laughing. I mean a supermodel SING?! Plu-eeze. Wasn't Cindy Crawford terribly tone deaf singing in that Charlie perfume ad back in the day?
I found out recently, that Carla is different. Her album, entirely in French, called "quelqu'un m'a dit" (translates to "someone told me") is one of those albums you can play over and over. I actually found this album by accident while browsing for French songs one late Sunday evening on iTunes. I had just selected Autour de Lucie's "Je Reviens" ("I Return") and a list of "if you like this selection, you'll also like these..." popped up. I clicked on Carla Bruni, becuase I was thinking this couldn't be THAT Carla Bruni they are talking about??
"Quelqu'un m'a dit" just pulls you in. I had to look her up on google to confirm that "yes, this was the Carla Bruni, Italian beauty and 80's Supermodel who came out with this amazing album. I mean she's beautiful on the album cover but half her face is covered by her guitar. I really couldn't believe that she wrote and sang all the songs. This review from the UK Guardian sealed the deal for me. I completely agree with the writer. All the songs have a folksy, sultry, intimate style with just her voice and guitar on most of the tracks. Even if you don't understand French, you feel the music. When my boyfriend (who is French) heard me playing the preview, he was like "who's this?" I told him and he was shocked. "Her French is impeccable. C'est parfait! Not like the way Italians speak French!" he said.
Another song, "Le toi du moi" (more poetic French, not grammatical, translates to "the you of me" ) is a fun song where she rhymes all these French words together with some really nice harmonies. I had no idea what she was saying since its so fast so I looked up the lyrics to all of the songs. She speeds through lines like "You're the guitar, I'm the bass" and "You are the hand, I am the caress" all while rhyming. It's just so clever.
The album has been a bestseller in France and Europe. I don't normally recommend music, but on a nice winter day, this is a nice album to pop in and just chill. Its also good for background music when you need to work. From a woman who once dated Donald Trump, bravo to Carla for breaking out artistically from her supermodel past. Tres Bien!
