This all-female trio was formed in 1994 around two American guitarists, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. Four female drummers have followed in their wake, and Angie Boylan is now behind the drums. Despite rapid critical success for most of their albums, they have struggled to break through the Riot Girls scene or the punk rock crowd. Thirty years after their debut, they are back with an album which, while retaining their energy and the indie rock feel of the 90s, shows us a very successful melodious pop side. The guitar sound is sometimes reminiscent of Sonic Youth, but with a more harmonious veneer. The vocals are capable of torrid sensuality, or screaming out their anger at a world that is falling apart, a society that is far from having established equality between men and women, and where social gains are being called into question. All this over an unfailingly catchy rhythm, with even a few tracks that could make excellent singles, such as the magnificent Crusader. This could be the album that brings them a wider audience.
Laudanum is the electronic project of Matthieu Malon from Orléans, who makes French rock under his own name. The project has been dormant for over a decade. To our delight, he has rewired the machines and released the first volume of a trilogy in September 2023 with ‘As Black As My Heart’. This was followed by ‘As Red As Your Lips’ in November and finally ‘As Blue As My Veins’ in January. Although these three records are all different, there’s a strong family resemblance, all featuring collaborations, particularly on lyrics and vocals. The sound is close to Down Tempo or tortured Trip Hop. The second is more pop, leaving the first slightly fuller of dark, haunting power. The last is a good synthesis of the other two. By having the same mastermind, calling on multiple featurings, this trilogy manages to be uniform, both in sound and artistic quality, while being varied enough to remain attractive and playful.
When Arrested Development released their debut album in 1992, it was like a breath of fresh air blowing through hip hop. Their music was often referred to as rural rap, to distinguish it from rap that was full of urban clichés, sometimes misogynistic and often violent. The music is less aggressive, closer to funk, and more likely to appeal to the uninitiated. With their no-holds-barred approach, they have paved the way for many other artists who don’t identify with gangsta rap. In 2024, even if this album isn’t as striking as their first, the fundamentals are still there. You’re drawn in by the freshness of their music, their lyrics calling for change, and their melodious flow. Not to spoil anything, the list of featurings is pretty impressive. It’s a pure pleasure to catch up with these artists who have managed to retain their artistic approach.
It’s hard not to think that Elliott Armen is Yann Tiersen’s son, but the filiation is not musical, as his style is far removed from that of his father. He began composing on guitar and piano in his teens. After secondary school, with his guitar and ukulele, he set off for two years across Europe, travelling from farm to farm where he learned to cultivate the land and took the opportunity to record his first songs. When it came to recording his second album, he chose the peace and quiet of a studio on the Isle of Lewis. To get there he walked the last 200 kilometres, a detail that gives us a better understanding of this record. He takes us into a world of subtlety and gentleness with an underlying power, like when we are overwhelmed by the splendour of a landscape, the elements are there and the emotion wells up in us without the need to intellectualise, his voice being a big part of it. His music oscillates between another Elliott (Smith) and Sufjan Stevens, and sometimes there’s a hint of Sigur Ròs, but without the flights of fancy. Put yourself in a quiet, solitary place and you’ll be transported by this record of penetrating beauty.
Beneath this name lies no less than the musical project of Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, who have been unable to stop producing music since Radiohead went dormant. Drummer Tom Skinner completes the line-up. Throughout their discography, by evolving their compositions, Radiohead have taken a pop-rock audience to much more experimental shores. The band’s critical and public success has never waned. This album seems to be a synthesis of their glorious past, with a sort of split between Pablo Honey and the sounds they explored from Kid A onwards. That said, there’s no sign of any effort to write a track that could be played on the radio. On the contrary, the rhythm section is less dense and more impressionistic than on their 2022 opus. The other instruments – strings, winds, piano, but above all guitars and synthesizers – create atmospheres that invite you to contemplate imaginary landscapes. This is a dense yet accessible album that can be enjoyed over a long listening period.
