The French Pop Update

A couple of days ago, I decided to give Charlotte Gainsbourg’s new record 5:55 a listen. Her being the daughter of French pop royalty Serge Gainsbourg sparked my curiosity, and the inclusion of Air, Nigel Godrich, and numerous others as songwriters and producers motivated me to devote my all too abundant free time to a couple of listens. And after those listens, I’ve realized I downloaded an album that’s not bad, but certainly not good. As a whole, it comes off as a perfect cliché of what one would expect from a project involving a French actress and Air.

Let’s start with what’s glaringly obvious. Ms. Gainsbourg’s voice is breathy and light in a way that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of personality. It seems to take countless cues from not only the women her father recruited to sing with him, but also Air. Personally, one thing I look for in vocals because it can portray this quality so strongly is the character of a singer or band if of course it’s done well. Listening to this record, I find no personality whatsoever except for someone trying especially hard to do as her fellow French colleagues and predecessors have already done a few times before.

The production and also much of the backing tracks seem to use Air’s Talkie Walkie as a starting point from which all ideas emanate. Although it is in fact Air’s Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel who penned the music for the album, I would expect them to differentiate one project from another especially when it carries someone else’s name. I will give them some credit though: when the songs pick up some steam and move away from slow ambient pop, the songwriting does begin to show some marked differences. In most songs, however, the piano sits in the forefront becoming the primary supporting instrument for Charlotte Gainsbourg’s vocals using so many variations on the arpeggios we heard in Talkie Walkie. Check out “Little Monsters” and between the piano and the synthesized strings and beats, you’ll begin to wonder which record you’re actually listening to. You may even mistake the beats in the intro for those at the beginning of “Universal Traveler.” Production can also be compared in the same way. Ambience in 5:55’s title track practically mirrors what someone can find in “Venus” except that strings offer a slight timbral alternative to the synthesizers we’re used to.

As a fan of French music, I’m certainly not disappointed by 5:55, but as someone that demands a certain level of originality as well as personality from music, I have no reason to come back to the album after a few cursory listens.

What New Directions Will Your Life Take Now?

With such high levels of excitement in anticipation of the new record by the Shins “Wincing the Night Away,” it’s difficult to imagine that a sizeable number of people will be impressed with this, their third album. The success of “Chutes Too Narrow” and of course the role the band’s music played in “Garden State” will only invite very acute criticism. Basically, I just want to join the club and let loose a disappointment or two.

As a whole, I really do like “Wincing the Night Away,” but the record is supersaturated with the Shins’ newfound ego and sometimes misguided ambition. You don’t have to wait long to notice it: the first track “Sleeping Lessons” is one of its better examples. It’s more or less a three-minute build of textures centered on a rather simple keyboard line that is transposed as the chords change (conservatively) and a vocal part typical of James Mercer. It serves as a solid example of what I see as the indie overture where the first track of an album displays much of the timbral material as well as the character of the music to follow. Another such indie overture is Wilco’s “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” on “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”

On the other end of the spectrum, their brazenness contributes a confusing instrumental section to “Sea Legs” whose use of electric piano and synthesizer reminds me of “Head Hunters” era Herbie Hancock more than anything else. Add to that the use of synthesized drums and strings throughout the song, and an overwhelming mess of sonic ideas presents itself. In general I am not opposed to new idea, approaches, and influences, but when traversing new ground you must be aware of what past ideas new personal timbres and styles reference. Or maybe I’m over thinking it, and this section is merely an appeal to the jammy community.

With only the exception of this arrogance, “Wincing the Night Away” is a strong effort from a band with seemingly insurmountable expectations. Their penchant for inventive, lyrical melodies remains in “Phantom Limb” and throughout the record, and that for me really is enough to make this a worthwhile album.