Eleni Mandell

Eleni Mandell has been a mainstay of the Los Angeles singer/songwriter circuit since 1999, releasing albums at a regular clip and frequently popping up in concert with kindred left-of-center songwriters like Lisa Germano and Erin McKeown. Never predictable, Mandell's sound often shifts several times within a given album as she channels disparate influences such as Billie Holiday, Tom Waits and PJ Harvey. In 2004, she showcased her honky-tonk side on Country for True Lovers, adding Patsy Cline to the aforementioned list.

An inviting collection of songs that sound like forgotten old standards, Miracle of Five is Mandell's sixth and perhaps most straightforward album. Her sultry alto is always the centerpiece, brought even more to the fore by producer Andy Kaulkin, who had Mandell's ace backing band—including guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco) and percussionist DJ Bonebrake (X)—lay down their parts atop her already finished vocals. The arrangements are warm and, aside from an occasional flourish of saxophone or lap steel, wisely underplayed.

While always providing easy background listening, Miracle of Five doesn't always linger in the memory banks or demand repeat plays. Songs like "Wings in His Eyes" and "Dear Friend" are pretty, but forgettable, coffeehouse fare. There's nothing wrong with covering well-trod territory, but Mandell's lyric sheet could benefit, at times, from more specificity and inventiveness. That said, the album's opener, "Moonglow, Lamp Low", and closer, "Miss Me", are so endearing and well-composed that the limited nature of the imagery—rainbows, fallen angels, sinking ships—seems inconsequential.

The jazzy "My Twin" is a fine example of Mandell finding a fresh approach; here, she mourns the death of 201 train passengers, worrying that her special somebody—as yet unknown to her—may have been on board. At the core, it's inspired by the same hopeful yearning that charges most of Miracle of Five, but the unique perspective and darker, almost morbid, tone make it one of the standouts. As she uncovers these new twists in the road, Mandell's work continues to be a consistently welcome diversion.

- Adam McKibbin

It's difficult to review any Eleni Mandell album without using the words "torchy" and "chanteuse," and Miracle of Five -- her sixth release -- is no exception. However, this recording was approached uniquely. Producer/keyboardist Andy Kaulkin captured Mandell solo, singing the songs while strumming on her nylon-stringed guitar, overdubbing the rest of the band later. While that might seem a bit artificial for such rootsy, jazz-tinged music, the results justify the means. Mandell sounds relaxed and there is a spaciousness to the material resulting from Kaulkin's ability to add and subtract instruments at will. Mandell's voice has shifted from its once edgy PJ Harvey timbre to a far more luxurious, breathy style, similar to Aimee Mann, especially on the languorous "Salt Truck." This is hushed, melancholy music that remains sparse, even stark, despite the addition of such relatively exotic accompaniment as harp, celeste, clarinet and vibes (from X drummer D.J. Bonebrake). The always impressive Nels Cline is credited with guitars, dobro and "weird sounds." He restrains his typically avant-garde, jazzy excursions to bring unusual tones and textures to the project. Kaulkin applies these instruments with the care and detail-oriented touch of a painter, dabbing them into the recordings to provide color but never letting the few solos steal the spotlight from Mandell's mellifluous voice and sharp lyrics. The words are printed in the booklet which makes it easy to follow along as the singer approaches relationships -- good, bad, stagnating, improving and dissolving -- with a sharp poetic grace fleshed out by the gorgeous music. She finds the nooks and crannies in uncomplicated words, bringing layers of meaning to a deceptively simple lyric such as "Your eyes are the same eyes that you had yesterday, so you know who you once were." Her musings add weight and even intensity to the subtle, muted tunes, making this a perfect addition to her existing catalog and arguably, her finest work yet. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide