Search - Carla Bruni :: No Promises (Dig)

Shoot for the Stars, and You'll Reach the Tree-Top

Cabir Davis | 12/02/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"While I authentically respect Carla Bruni's prowess as a musician (try finding her amazing rendition of "Deranger les pierres" with Julien Clerc on video), her second album remains an oddity even in her reasonable musical arsenal. While her debut album remains to this day a breakthrough of sorts (remember this was before the general public even knew her much), this CD seems like a weird experiment that doesn't quite go anywhere.



Despite being a listener of mood music and concept albums such as this - Isobel Campbell being a prime mascot of the genre - I was half expecting some sort of masterpiece when I first got it. However, it has to be said that of all her albums, Carla is the most monotonous on this one. Her husky, breathy voice is reduced to a flat drill here, and it looks like shes actually struggling with her English language lyrics.



"Those Dancing Days are Gone" was the first single, and easily the most listenable thing here. However, once you reach Track 4, a certain sameness creeps in, and it all goes downhill very, very quickly. I think the problem is not the song selection, but rather the lyrics of these great texts being enunciated with incorrect syllable stress almost everywhere - Carla doesn't let these songs breathe - its evident shes laboriously reading off a page, and that isn't pretty.



Unlike Susheela Raman who took ancient Sanskrit texts, set them to blues and jazz, and in the process won huge fans from both the art circuit and the mainstream, Carla's experiment here is just an experiment. Its not very listenable. And mostly, its not very good (though I admit I did give it four to five listens to find something of any worth, but was unlucky)



The main problem also remains that the album actually gets even slower and duller as it progresses. The beauty of "Autumn" as a poem is totally lost, and by the time we get to the most lyrically intriguing song - "Ballad at Thirty Five", most listeners would have tuned out. I also must state that the two closing tracks - in particular the final track, is a sure cure for insomnia.



When Bruni does a ballad with class, she really nails it. "Ma Jeunesse" from "Comme si de rien n'etait" for example is a prime contendor for the kinds of songs she is good at, but give her a bunch of poems to set to music, and shes totally lost. I think even she probably gave up halfway on this record (which is perhaps why she has never sung any of these songs live or in concert)



Two Stars."

Beautiful Music

Sean Patrick | Boston MA | 03/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""No Promises" is dynamite to me. I love all the songs, but I love Carla's sultry, sexy, intimate voice. She could sing the phone book and I'd buy it.

This is Carla's first venture in English to my knowledge. I have bought her two other Albums in French previously. I Speak no French but she sings in the universal language of love or l'amour.

Anyway, Carla is wonderful and I can't wait for her next release. I have an ipod play list for only Carla and it is labeled "Carla Bruni All."

I play it in bed at night and her voice and oh-so-intimate delivery is sooo soothing sweet that It sends me to dream land with 40 songs on shuffle-repeat.

We frolic with the angels in the heavens, Carla and I. Je t'adore mon cherie.

From your secret lover Coraggio Bon Soire"