Refined, melodic and musically rich pop rock songs with echoes of Natalie Merchant, Sheryl Crow, Carole King and Alanis Morrissette. Smooth modern jazz influences...
Malina debut album "Gently Hard", hidden on the shelves for more than 6 years. finally saw the light through Cd Baby in 2006. Exceptional singer and songwriter Malina, equally talented in performing pop and jazz, co-writes these great songs with songwriter-producer Filippo Gaetani (Tessa Drummond, AdrinaThorpe) during 1997 and 1999. With the collaboration of talented musicians as Marco Baracchino, Fabio Marchiori (Linton Kwesi Johnson), drummers Fabrizio Morganti (Dennis Bovell, Modena city ramblers, Piero Pelu), Andrea Pellegrini and Walter Paoli (Stefano Bollani,Kenny Wheeler,Tony Scott), the album was recorded at Le Bozze studios in Tuscany, Italy, then mastered by Julian Lowe at Metropolis Mastering, London.
The album also features guest star pianist Stefano Bollani playing accordion on “Lemon cake” and Stefano Cocco Cantini playing a sax solo on “Back to myself”.
“I’m glidin’” and “Gently hard” received strong airplay in 2000. The remix of the song “By your side”, released on famed Tommy boy label, topped US billboards in year 2000 at #12, having succes especially in the Bay area. “By your side” was also featured in the TV series “Queer as folk”. The song “Reach out” was also remixed and played worldwide. The song “Teardrops” is featured in the short movie “Under the leaves” (Sotto le foglie) starring Valerio Mastrandrea and Cecilia Dazzi. The movie is receiving several international awards.
"Malina's music has a natural, built-in way of pushing up against boundaries like the unseen buds of spring that, tender as they are, gently force their heads through rock and dirt to find the sunlight. What first stands out so immediately is the well-organized sonic space, the thoughtful textures (none of that just layering one instrument on top of another) and a breath-catching, consistently-surprising turn of harmonic color. When your ear is pulled in unpredictable directions with "Gently Hard"(a surprising key change, a clever modulation, secondary chords and a bridge that changes the entire context of the last few minutes), you find yourself unable to let go until the end of the disc, always wondering what's around the next corner. While her influences sneak in here and there, that of Carole King, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morrissette, her hybrid of piano pop, folk pop and a touch of rock is distinct and notable." Tamara Turner, CD BABY 2006
CDBABY
