Icelandic singer Emilíana Torrini, familiar to millions through her contribution to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and her excellent last album Fisherman's Wife, has a voice so enchanting it should run for office somewhere. On the evidence of this release she could easily charm a small island nation into making her leader.
Big Jumps is a jaunty second single from her recent record Me and Armini, and follows the stylistic template of the last album, combining gently strummed and plucked acoustic guitars, minimal percussion (provided by the legendary Siggi Baldersson of The Sugarcubes - John Peel liked them quite a lot) and a general ambiance that sounds like a grown-up summer nursery rhyme with a gentle folk twist.
Despite the excellent musicianship, Torrini's voice is the real star and the catchy, upbeat chorus allows her to express herself vocally beyond the whispered nuances of her previous work. A fine late-summer single, albeit mone that's more Radio 2 than Xfm.
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