Eleni Mandell

Miracle of Five

(Zedtone)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Eleni Mandell as 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.