Isabelle's latest album was released back on November 24 and I'm just getting around to pimping it here because ummm I kinda forgot. I didn't forget to buy it or listen to it, but I forgot to form a real opinion about it. Of course, surprising no one, I automatically like anything Isabelle sings because her voice is incredible to my really well-shaped ears. So I guess this will be less of a review and more of a summary of the album.
First of all, the album title isn't false advertising. Almost all of the songs sound like she's singing in a winter wonderland. The music evokes the feeling of needing something hot to drink. I'm not sure if that's the reaction Isabelle was shooting for, but this damn album is making me want some Swiss Miss like never before. That last sentence wasn't meant to have innuendo, but well, there you go.
All but one song is a remake of famous French songs. Not growing up French (dammit it all to hell) I have no association to them so I can only take them on face value. And that value is fair to middling for me. The songs are slow and sleepy and some aren't all that catchy. But the saving grace is...wait for it....her voice. What? You thought I was going to surprise you? Not gonna happen. Isabelle's voice is low, smooth and calming. It's less crackly than normal, but it works well for these types of songs.
The one original song written for her is golden! It's already one of my favorites in her entire catalog and it only makes me wish the rest of the album were original songs, too. I think her stable of songwriters know her well and it's too bad they weren't utilized this time.
In the end, though, I'm happy to have a new Isabelle cd even if it doesn't have any photos of her which is ridiculous. I was estatic with Amazon Canada for having it delivered to me one day after the release even though I only paid for the 4-7 day shipping option. Anyway, she's going to put out another new album next year which will have photos. And that's all I really care about.