Ilene Martinez - Reasons (2018)

It's undoubtedly for good reasons that the American troubadour Ilene Martinez made us wait before releasing this album. That said, the wait was worthwhile, as if the singer took the time to let inspiration slowly seep into her, extracting its essence and composing ten of the eleven tracks on this album. On this beautiful album, Ilene Martinez doesn't impose her talent; she distills it, with a persistent desire to always offer high-quality songs. As a result, the album is surprisingly mature. Here, there are no covers to fill the CD.Or to show off your talent like some celebrity? No, it's the captivating Ilene Martinez who wrote the lyrics and music for the ten tracks on this album, complementing her compositions with a "traditional" song, "Pretty Saro," which Ilene interprets according to her own sensibility and approach. The first song alone will hook you, because it contains all the magic, all the musical luminosity that Ilene Martinez offers, notably with the masterful accordion of Maxime Perrin that envelops you, draws you in sublimely, and then admirably knows when to step back to make room for Céline Bonacina's saxophone or Olivier Mugot's guitar.

The songs possess a realistic melancholy, pierced by truths and realities that will make you reflect on our supposedly 'modern' era and our relationships with others. Some songs will stir your gut, or your heart, while others will make you soar in a sky as deep blue as the one depicted on the album cover. Ilene Martinez has in her voice and her fingers that magic of the troubadours that brings tears to your eyes and tugs at your heartstrings, makes you smile the brightest smile, and makes stars sparkle in your eyes. Eleven gems are offered to you, and quite frankly, we wish the album contained even more. When will the double album be released, Ilene...? Surely when the sun has so illuminated the young woman's songs that she can no longer keep them to herself and feels compelled to share them with us.

It's up to the mainstream media to do their job and give her the recognition she deserves, because Ilene Martinez undoubtedly deserves this acclaim. I know few artists who can bring tears to my eyes and smiles at the same time, and Ilene is one of them. Essential, truly essential!---Frankie Pfeiffer Editor-in-Chief – Paris-Move