| Charlotte Gainsbourg- Stage Whisperer |
| Written by Rishbha Bhagi | |||
| Wednesday, 04 January 2012 04:38 | |||
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 The life of Charlotte Gainsbourg is one straight out of a celebrity fiction novel. The daughter of legendary singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and British actress Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg grew up in the shadow of her immensely famous parents, which would be enough to drive any kid up the wall. But Gainsbourg ploughed through and managed to create her own reputation, one detached from her parents, as an electric art film actress and successful singer. In 2007, Gainsbourg had to undergo brain hemorrhage surgery for a head injury caused by a waterskiing accident. Fortunately, the surgery was successful and instead of wallowing in fear and trepidation of the effect the accident had in and on her life, Gainsbourg went right back to work. She went back into acting and released the superb “IRM” in 2009, an album written and produced by Beck. Gainsbourg has consistently showed nothing but steadfastness and indicates no signs of slowing down in the dramatic saga that is her life, and the latest chapter of that saga is the delicately fervent “Stage Whisper.”
“Stage Whisper” seems like a filler album in the Gainsbourg discography – the first eight tracks are unreleased or leftover songs from her last record release and the remainder of the album is a collection of live recordings. However, this is not to say that the album itself is filler. Though “Stage Whisper” arguably may not be for a newcomer to all things Gainsbourg, it still stands tall as yet another affirmation of the enigmatic charm of the singer-actress. The album begins with “Terrible Angels,” a Beck-produced track that perfectly contrasts Gainsbourg’s ethereal vocals against the pounding electric backbeat. The enchanting simplicity of the song is echoed throughout the rest of the album, as that notion serves as Gainsbourg’s trademark. The hauntingly evocative linger of “All The Rain” leads into the simple yet poignant “White Telephone” and finds a foundation in “Anna,” a melancholy ode incorporating major-minor chord changes in the chorus which ignite a spark of optimism in the song. “Got To Let Go” features Charlie Fink from Noah and the Whale and Gainsbourg’s matter-of-fact vocals carry the entire song. She employs a beautiful whisper in “Out Of Touch,” causing the song to almost sound like a lullaby, and bleeds more mystery through her vocals in the folky “Memoir,” the last non-live recording on the album. So far, so awesome. The live recordings don’t disappoint either – Gainsbourg sings a number of favourite tracks from “IRM” and “5:55” including the snappy “Set Yourself On Fire,” “The Operation,” a ghostly rendition of “The Voyage,” “Heaven Can Wait,” and the epic-sounding “In The End,” which sounds like the soundtrack to a fairy tale. Gainsbourg also does a beautiful rendering of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman” and the album ends with the messy guitar mastery of “Trick Pony.” “Stage Whisper” is an album that beautifully showcases the enigmatic and otherworldly vocals of Charlotte Gainsbourg in both a studio setting and a live setting. For this reason alone, fans of Gainsbourg will not be disappointed with the album, for Gainsbourg is presented in two different backdrops, both of which she gently dominates. Like her other records, Gainsbourg’s airy voice in “Stage Whisper” is strong enough to keep the listener glued to the music and serves as a fitting presentation of the Charlotte Gainsbourg mystery.
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