The Absence (Melody Gardot album)

The Absence is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Melody Gardot. It was released on May 29, 2012, by Decca Records and produced by Heitor Pereira. The same year, Gardot participated in an advertisement campaign for Piaget for which she recorded the song "La Vie en rose". This song appeared on a re-release of The Absence which also included a music video and the making of the same track.

The Absence
Studio album by Melody Gardot
Released	May 29, 2012
Genre	Jazz blues bossa nova
Length	57:51
Label	Decca
Producer	Heitor Pereira
Melody Gardot chronology
My One and Only Thrill (2009) The Absence (2012) Currency of Man (2015)
Singles from The Absence
"Mira" Released: April 5, 2012[1] "Amalia" Released: April 6, 2012[2]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.7/10[3]
Metacritic	77/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
The Absolute Sound	[5]
AllMusic	[6]
The Irish Times	[7]
Jazz Forum	[8]
laut.de	[9]
The New Zealand Herald	[10]
Mojo	[4]
musicOMH	[11]
The Telegraph	[4]
Uncut	[4]

Critical reception

Ceiri O'Douglas of musicOMH mentioned, "It’s important for some artists to be as diverse as possible. Melody Gardot‘s music primarily takes influence from jazz and blues, but she’s always taken in other styles of music. On her third album, The Absence, it’s a case of more of the same. She’s travelled a lot in support of her music (mostly thanks to her 2009 breakthrough, My One And Only Thrill), and it makes sense that other cultures should have inspired the creation of its follow-up."[11] Cormak Larkin of The Irish Times stated, "The persistent absence of clothing in her publicity photographs may suggest a flagging career but, in fact, New Jersey-born singer Melody Gardot doesn’t need to abandon her dignity to get our attention. The songs, which she writes herself, are refreshingly authentic – bittersweet laments for discarded lovers and misplaced innocence – and she sings them in a honeyed, breathy voice that has real musicality and an emotional directness that recalls Edith Piaf."[7]

Matt Collar writing for AllMusic added, "If Melody Gardot's 2009 sophomore effort, My One and Only Thrill, sustained the sultry, atmospheric vibe of her critically acclaimed 2006 debut, her 2012 follow-up, The Absence, is a bit of a creative departure for the vocalist. Apparently inspired by her world travels, and specifically by a trip that brought her to the desert around the city of Marrakech, the album moves her away from smoky, small-group jazz and into a bright, if still bedroom-eyed, rhythmically exotic sound."[6] Tony Nielsen of The New Zealand Herald added, "The music is mostly soft and beguiling, less in-your-face than her last album. The feel and overall direction of The Absence is easy to listen to without being bland."[10]

Commercial reception

A four-song EP, The Absence EP, was first released as an iTunes exclusive on May 15, 2012, serving as a preview for the album.[12] The EP debuted on the Top Jazz Albums at number eight.[13]

The album itself was released two weeks later on May 29, 2012. It debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums,[14] and at number 33 on Billboard 200,[15] selling 10,000 copies in its first week. The album had sold 51,000 copies in the US as of May 2015.[16] The album was certified platinum in France on November 14, 2012, signifying 100,000 copies sold.[17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Melody Gardot, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mira"	4:16
2.	"Amalia" (writers: Gardot, Heitor Pereira, Phil Roy)	3:03
3.	"So Long"	3:50
4.	"So We Meet Again My Heartache"	4:32
5.	"Lisboa"	5:27
6.	"Impossible Love"	3:49
7.	"If I Tell You I Love You"	3:33
8.	"Goodbye" (writers: Gardot, Jesse Harris)	3:38
9.	"Se Você Me Ama" (Gardot, Pereira)	4:56
10.	"My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way"	2:34
11.	"Iemanja" (contains hidden track "Chegue Journeyman")	18:13
Total length:		57:51

iTunes Store bonus tracks[18]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Iemanja"	4:03
12.	"La Vie en rose" (lyrics: Edith Piaf; music: Louiguy)	5:17
13.	"Mira" (Hamilton & Yamandu acoustic version)	5:09
14.	"Iemanja" (Hamilton & Yamundu acoustic version)	2:23
15.	"The Absence – Track by Track Commentary"	24:57
Total length:		81:24

Japanese edition bonus tracks[19][20]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Iemanja"	4:03
12.	"The Willow"	7:00
Total length:		50:20

Repack version bonus tracks[21]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Iemanja"	4:03
12.	"La Vie en rose" (lyrics: Piaf; music: Louiguy)	5:19
13.	"La Vie en rose" (music video; Enhanced CD)	3:07
14.	"La Vie en rose" (making of; Enhanced CD)	4:45
Total length:		48:49

Deluxe edition bonus DVD[22]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mira" (Hamilton & Yamandu acoustic version)	5:09
2.	"Iemanja" (Hamilton & Yamundu acoustic version)	2:23
3.	"La Vie en rose"	5:17
4.	"La Vie en rose" (making of)	4:00
5.	"The Absence by Melody Gardot" (EPK film)	21:00

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2012) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 43 Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[24] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[25] 10 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 8 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 3 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 17 Croatian Albums (HDU)[29] 34 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[30] 14 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 16 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[32] 18 French Albums (SNEP)[33] 3 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] 9 Greek Albums (IFPI)[35] 6 Irish Albums (IRMA)[36] 22 Italian Albums (FIMI)[37] 42 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[38] 22 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[39] 38 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[40] 1 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[41] 13 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[42] 14 Scottish Albums (OCC)[43] 23 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[44] 17 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 3 Swedish Jazz Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 1 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 10 UK Albums (OCC)[48] 18 UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[49] 1 US Billboard 200[50] 33 US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[51] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[52] 8 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[53] 87 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[54] 53 French Albums (SNEP)[55] 44 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[56] 55 US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[57] 13

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[17]	Platinum	100,000^*
Poland (ZPAV)[58]	Gold	10,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Mira – Single by Melody Gardot". iTunes Store. Australia. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
2. "Amalia – Single by Melody Gardot". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
3. "The Absence by Melody Gardot reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
4. "The Absence by Melody Gardot". Retrieved 23 November 2020.
5. Valin, Jonathan (1 October 2012). "Melody Gardot: The Absence". The Absolute Sound. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
6. Collar, Matt (2020). "The Absence - Melody Gardot | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
7. Larkin, Cormac (25 May 2012). "Melody Gardot". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
8. Henrik, Lukazs. "The AbsenceMelody Gardot". Jazz Forum. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
9. Schulz, Artur (2012). "Sinnlichkeit mit dunklen Untertönen" (in German). laut.de.
10. Nielsen, Tony (16 July 2012). "Album review: Melody Gardot - The Absence". NZ Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
11. O'Douglas, Ceiri (27 May 2012). "Melody Gardot - The Absence | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
12. "Melody Gardot". Facebook. May 15, 2012.
13. "Jazz Albums: June 2, 2012". Billboard.
14. "Jazz Albums: June 16, 2012". Billboard.
15. "Billboard 200: June 16, 2012". Billboard.
16. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on May 15, 2015.
17. "Certifications Albums Platine – année 2012" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. November 14, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
18. "The Absence by Melody Gardot". iTunes Store. United States. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
19. "The Absence [SHM-CD] Melody Gardot CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
20. "The Absence by Melody Gardot". iTunes Store. Japan. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
21. "The Absence (Repack Version) | Melody Gardot". Cosmox.be (in Dutch). Retrieved June 14, 2012.
22. "The Absence [CD+DVD, Deluxe Edition]: Melody Gardot". Amazon. United States. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
23. "Australiancharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
24. "ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums – Week Commencing 4th June 2012" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1162): 21. June 4, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
25. "Austriancharts.at – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
26. "Ultratop.be – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
27. "Ultratop.be – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
28. "Melody Gardot Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
29. "Top Kombiniranih – Tjedan 23. 2012" [Top Combined – Week 23, 2012]. Top of the Shops (in Croatian). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
30. "Danishcharts.dk – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
31. "Dutchcharts.nl – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
32. "Melody Gardot: The Absence" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
33. "Lescharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
34. "Offiziellecharts.de – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
35. "Official Cyta-IFPI Albums Sales Chart – Εβδομάδα 24η (10/06-16/06) 2012" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012 – via CYTA.
36. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Melody Gardot". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
37. "Italiancharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
38. アブセンス | メロディ・ガルドー [The Absence | Melody Gardot] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
39. "Charts.nz – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
40. "Norwegiancharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
41. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
42. "Portuguesecharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
43. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
44. "Spanishcharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
45. "Swedishcharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
46. "Veckolista Jazz, vecka 23, 2012" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
47. "Swisscharts.com – Melody Gardot – The Absence". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
48. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
49. "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
50. "Melody Gardot Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
51. "Melody Gardot Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
52. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums 2012". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
53. "Jaaroverzichten 2012 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
54. "Rapports Annuels 2012 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
55. "Classement Albums – année 2012" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
56. "Årslista Album – År 2012" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
57. "Jazz Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
58. "Polish album certifications – Melody Gardot – The Absence" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. September 5, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2020.

External links

• Official website