My One and Only Thrill by Melody Gardot @ ARTISTdirect.com

"This is an exceptional album and anyone who thought the great age of the torch singer was over should lend an ear."
– The Times of London

About the record--
"MY ONE AND ONLY THRILL"

The very nature of the title suggests something more than a love affair. Something greater than romance. That thing that keeps your heart beating even when it tells you that it shouldnt. The kind of love that burns and lingers in every corner of your mind. The sentimentality; the dreamlike state. The feeling of watching time stop the moment that love arrives. A rush of delightful intensity. A cardiac abnormality of the greatest kind. To feel a sensation that is far more compelling than anyone has words to describe.

Not simply love. Not simply romance. A thrill.

With lyrical sentiments such as "It's not hard to see, what you do to me is like a page right out of Ernest Hemingway", and occasional lush orchestral arrangements by Vince Mendoza, the album is like something out of a black and white movie. Offering a cinematic exploration in lyricism, it spans the spectrum of moods one might experience in the long and sometimes difficult journey to falling in love. Mostly though, it rests on the doorstep of longing and introspection, begging you to come along and watch the saga unravel. "How was I to know that this was always only just a little game to you? All the time I thought you gave your heart I thought that I would do the same for you...."

Produced by Larry Klein and recorded at Captiol Records in Los Angeles, the strings are an ambitious addition, but "a decision that I was incredibly excited to have come through. Vince is one of my favourite arrangers and furthermore has a great sensibility for soundscape. To work with Vince, Larry and all of the musicians on this record was an absolute dream."

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All Music Guide Review

Melody Gardot's 2006 debut, Worrisome Heart, was greeted with warmly enthusiastic reviews that never failed to mention Gardot's musical similarities to Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux, or her sadly compelling story of surviving a severe hit-and-run accident at the age of 19. The tragedy gave critics an irresistible hook, and the musical similarities -- which also include her vocal resemblance to Fiona Apple's smoky tones -- gave new listeners a familiar touchstone, but both merely provided an entry into a fine, accomplished debut. Released three years later, Gardot's second album, My One and Only Thrill, proves that the first was no fluke; it doesn't build upon the debut so much as it sustains its quality. Like before, My One and Only Thrill is built primarily on Gardot originals (a fine version of "Over the Rainbow" that closes the album being the only exception) that seamlessly blend sultry, late-night jazz blues, singer/songwriter introspection, and sophisticated pop melodies. If anything, My One and Only Thrill emphasizes Gardot's chanteuse qualities, feeling like more of a jazz album than its predecessor, thanks both to its languid atmosphere and also Gardot's phrasing, which elegantly elongates her melodies and slips into scat. These are slight, subtle progressions but what impresses is how thoroughly My One and Only Thrill lives up to the promise of her debut, offering another album that is as enchanting in its sound as it is in its substance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Melody Gardot

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