French word of mouth: Camille Dalmais

If you are rather conservative while picking up new music to hear, please go no further. This is not for you.

Ok, so you are open to be surprised by new sounds and styles. That's great. So what if I tell you that the album that I am going to review is composed by a single note? Doesn't sound soooo interesting, I know. Well, that's right. The album is composed by a single note that will play since the beginning of the record, and won't stop until the end. That's what, in french, Camille calls Le fil, The thread.
But my question was a tricky one. The note is there, but fortunately it's not the only thing you will be listening to. You will also get a striking voice that is used not only to sing the lyrics of the song, but also to play most of the instruments. This has been done many times already by many groups and singers, like Björk in her previous album, Medulla. But in this case, I have to say that I find this album more enjoyable and easier to listen.

Le Fil was released in 2005, and Camille has been playing it in concerts all around Europe, North and South America and even Asia. So, old album already. The only reason why I am mentioning it is because I think is just one of the best albums released on the last years.

Here are some extracts of the album review done by Mike Schiller, from Popmatters.com:

"Camille makes nearly all of the sounds on her album with her voice, and manages to create something texturally interesting and incredibly accessible. It’s no small feat, to be sure, and you’ll find yourself listening over and over again just trying to figure out the inspiration, not to mention the methods, behind some of these arrangements."


So I suggest you should stop reading and give her a try. This is the opening song of the album:



If you like it, there is more to enjoy her. Actually, I don't think that listening to her gives you the full experience, so I suggest you should also see her. This video corresponds to the song Ta douleur, and I am sure it will give you a good idea of who are we talking about:



Finally, if you are really into her and you would like to go on enjoying her style, watch this absolutely amazing performance of Au Port: