After playing drums for a slew of rock bands in New York City, Jessie Torrisi has set out to try her hand at being a front woman. To kick things off she has recorded a delightful batch of country-tinged indie songs for her debut record, Brûler Brûler (“burn burn” in French).
Although it may seem like a strange album title, it’s a fitting one; these songs reveal Torrisi to be a woman who is both passionate and curious about the world and she also seems to burn with a creativity and excitement for life that makes her record really enjoyable to play.
Bearing similarities to classic country singers like Patsy Cline and current indie queens like Cat Power, Torrisi is able to exist in a space between country music and the indie scene. Thus, it makes perfect sense that she currently resides in Austin, Texas, a city which blends these two worlds more than any other Texan city.
One of Torrisi’s most obvious gifts is her knack for crafting melodies. There are moments, like on “Cannonball” and “The Brighter Side,” where her melodies are reminiscent of brilliant songwriters like Randy Newman. Yet her lyrics are also notable as they alternate between poignancy and humor, sometimes in the same song. “X in Texas” is an example of this. “You put the X in Texas... you are a wrecking ball,” she sings to a former flame and she sells the humor and sadness of each line without undercutting the other. “You can have Texas and every woman in it,” she sings to him later and she really means it.
It’s moments like these which capture Torrisi’s personality well. Torrisi brings a certain swagger and sexiness to these songs. Through her words and voice she presents a persona which is easy-going, energetic, and fun. At one point in “Cannonball” she sums it all up with this great line: “I want to sing as loud as I can/Be a one-woman rock and roll band.” And it’s easy to believe that she could do it. Most importantly, she sounds like she is having a blast while making this record and that is clearly communicated while listening to Brûler Brûler.
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Article comments
1 - ian at wild curls music
"one woman band" is right. i hear live, jessie does a few songs from the drumset... & it is hhhhot.
i hope to catch them on tour in colorado next month.
2 - mtaub
we saw JT last year at the Tin Angel in philly. the place was captivated. she's original, refreshing and touching. can't wait 'til she comes back our way. can't be soon enough.
3 - dancin' sam
i saw jessie's CD release this weekend at lambert's.... the band's super fun live.
i think my fav song was *x in texas,* but the kazoo-a-long to end the show killed too.