Under the skin

It's not easy to get over the song that opens this wonderful album. Truth tells the autobiographical story of a young woman. She strikes up a conversation with a famous poet in a bar known for serving alcohol to minors and is persuaded by him to accompany him home, where she just manages to escape a serious sexual assault. However, the song is less about this than about the truth that caught up with the man a few years ago: He was convicted by a newspaper - and by Ella Ronen - of serial assault.

Ella Ronen wraps this story in a melody that the elliptically recurring mini refrain ("The truth is on its way") in combination with the velvety alto voice and a subtle guitar arrangement accentuated with conga and zither (?) makes truly unforgettable. In English, the effect would be described as "haunting" - I can't think of an accurate translation. In any case, I had to Truth many times before I could tear myself away and get involved with the remaining nine songs.

This makes it all the more gratifying to be able to report that Ronen's fourth album is an all-round joyful success. Recorded with the American producer Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Alexandra Savior etc.) in upstate New York, it is The Girl With No Skin a remarkably diverse and subtle work that also indulges in angry moments ("Fuck cute/I'm tired of cute/cute has never ever served me"). Ella Ronen grew up in Tel Aviv before ending up in Lausanne as a student, where she recorded her debut album in 2014. She now lives in Zurich with her two children and is a co-founder of the feminist Mino Collective together with Brandy Butler and Sarah Palin.

Ella Ronen: The Girl With No Skin. Irascible Records/BB*Island