Rating: NNN
Already a platinum-selling star at home in Italy, Carmen Consoli is looking for some Shakira-like exposure for her eighth studio album, Eva Contro Eva. To her credit, no concessions were made to North American radio, and Consoli sings only in Italian (with lyrics thoughtfully translated in the notes). Her dramatic, husky tones work well with the mid-tempo acoustic rhythms, and despite the language barrier it isn’t difficult to understand the emotion she conveys on songs like Maria Cantena, the story of Sicilian women burned by gossip and backstabbers. A fan of Bette Davis and her 1950 film All About Eve, Consoli similarly doesn’t hold back opinions and isn’t afraid to be herself.
Carmen Consoli stops at the Lula Lounge Sunday (September 24).
