Los Angeles-based singer Eleni Mandell sings of a night in Montreal
in the opening and title track, “Artificial Fire,” and released this
album, her seventh full-length, on Toronto label, Zedtone. The title
track is one of the album’s best, for the rhythmic strum of Jeremy
Drake’s guitar part as much as anything else. He works much magic on
the album. It’s a wonder Mandell isn’t given more love on both sides of
the border. Is it the sense of mystery—the noirish mood—she likes
to shroud her songs in, singing so coolly all the time? Perhaps. But on
“It wasn’t the time (it was the color),” the singer opens her heart and
that works wonders, too.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2009.