Isobel Campbell: Amorino (2002)

Isobel Campbell, former cellist and vocalist with Belle and Sebastian and the main force behind the Gentle Waves, turns in a laidback debut under her own name. A pleasantly jazzy, sophisticated companion piece to her tribute to Billie Holiday released in 2002, Amorino sounds like a lost soundtrack to some cool French film from the 1960s. There’s quite a lot of variation, and the arrangements are subtle throughout. "Monologue for an Old True Love," for one, melds Morricone horns and strings to a Spector-ish drum sound, swinging Wes Montgomery-ish guitar lines and a chorus that quietly explodes into girl group harmony. Elsewhere, elements are reminiscent of Joao Gilberto, Marine Girls, Nick Drake, Lee Hazlewood, and Smokey and Miho. There’s even some straight-ahead Dixieland jazz on "The Cat’s Pyjamas." Her voice may barely rise above a whisper on every track, but Amorino is unabashedly unironic, delicately joyous, and the perfect prelude to a nap some lazy Sunday afternoon.

Track list
01. Amorino
02. The Breeze Whispered Your Name
03. Monologue For An Old True Love
04. October's Sky
05. The Cat's Pyjamas
06. Why Does My Head Hurt So
07. Johnny Come Home
08. Poor Butterfly
09. Love For Tomorrow
10. There Is No Greater Gold
11. This Land Flows With Milk
12. Song For Baby
13. Time Is Just The Same

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