Charlotte Gainsbourg: singing to the fear of being alive

Charlotte Gainsbourg doesn't seem to sing, she rather whispers melodies. And this doesn't necessarily means a bad thing. Not at all. Her particular way of singing add some sort of cozy intimacy to the message she aspires to express on IRM (2009) -her sophomore record. After having an accident while water-skiing, she had to take several MRI tests to find out she had had a brain hemorrhage that almost got her killed. To get rid of that fear of discovering herself so close to death, she poured all those feelings out by making music. That was her first goal. Writing songs with Beck was the second one. He produced and wrote most of the material. His touch is so explicit that many have even dared to consider this record as a sequel of his Modern Guilt (2008). However, after listening to IRM, you couldn't be able to think of it as a Beck's record sang by an artsy female singer. Gainsbourg's stamp can be heard on every single melody she sings on this record. I'd rather to see IRM as a pleasant collaboration between two artists who happen to be at their peak of their careers.

This is the video for Heaven can wait