Pearl Days Explained

Pearl Days
Type:Album
Artist:Elisa
Cover:Pearl Days.jpg
Released:15 October 2004
Recorded:2004
Studio:Los Angeles (Henson Studios)
Genre:Rock[1] [2]
Length:42:03
Label:Sugar
Producer:Glen Ballard
Prev Title:Lotus
Prev Year:2003
Next Title:Soundtrack '96-'06
Next Year:2006

Pearl Days is the fifth studio-album by Italian singer Elisa. The album was released on 15 October 2004 and debuted at number two on the Italian album chart.Pearl Days is a rock album that echoes Elisa's debut album Pipes & Flowers. The album went double platinum in Italy.

The first single from the album was the promotional single "Together", followed by the promotional single "The Waves". The latest single was the hit "Life Goes On". This song debuted at number seven in the Italian Singles Chart and arrived soon at the first position, becoming the most-selling Italian single of 2005 by a female artist.

Background and composition

After the publication of her fourth acoustic studio album Lotus, in the spring of 2004 Elisa moved to Los Angeles, California, for seven months, recording and producing her fifth studio album with Glen Ballard at Henson Studios.[3] The artists involved include drummer Matt Chamberlain, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and guitarists Tim Pierce and Michael Landau. In an interview with Rockol, the artist recounted the decision to collaborate with Ballard and the process of producing the rock-sounding album, as well as the choice of collaborators:[4]

Critics recepiton

Giulio Nannini of Rockol reports that if in the previous Lotus Elisa "had dedicated herself to the intimate side of her music" in Pearl Days her "rock and more impetuous vein" manifests itself. Nannini finds the production "extremely polished, attentive to the cleanliness of the sound, [...] without ostentation" appreciating the choice not to abandon the English language, stating "she comes to write like this, why distort it?" Among the tracks, the reviewer particularly appreciates Life Goes On, writing that in the arrangement "well-calibrated harmonic openings dominate within an arrangement that combines electric liveliness and a soft string section" and that in general on the album one can appreciate "a wide range of vocal colors and timbres".[5]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Elisa; all music composed by Elisa except where noted.

Track listing (re-issue)

Chart performance

End-Year charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6 January 2020. PEARL DAYS - ELISA. italian. Ora Elisa Toffoli ha deciso di mostrare l’altra faccia della medaglia, ossia la vena rock e più irruenta. Rockol.
  2. Web site: 6 January 2020. Elisa - Pearl days. italian. Pearl days è un album rock nel vero senso della parola. Extra! Music Magazine.
  3. Web site: Leben . Giulio . 12 October 2004 . Elisa, nuovo album "La mia utopia contro la guerra" . 16 October 2024 . Vita Magazine . it.
  4. Web site: 13 October 2004 . Elisa presenta 'Pearl days', il suo disco rock . 16 October 2024 . . it.
  5. Web site: Nannini . Giulio . 15 October 2004 . Elisa - PEARL DAYS - la recensione . 16 October 2024 . . it.
  6. Web site: Classifica settimanale WK 43 (dal 15.10.2004 al 21.10.2004) . 16 October 2024 . . it.
  7. Web site: Classifica annuale 2004 (dal 29.12.2003 al 02.01.2005) . 16 October 2024 . . it.