Alcest - Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde
I first discovered this amazing French band on this, their debut album. Mainman, Neige has a black metal background, being a sometime member of Peste Noire. This is immediately apparent but there is much more to them than a blackened history as they balance light and shade beautifully.
The opener, Printemps Emerande, is slowburning, thoughtful, shoegazing indie rock with beautiful melodies and great dynamics yet blackened, grimy guitars sit malevolently in the background, not overshadowing the tunefulness but providing a darker edge all the same. There is some blasting here too but overall, it's more indie rock than anything else.
The title track is devastatingly beautiful, coming across like a slightly more metallized Sigur Ros. Les Iris starts off in slow, snaking ambient black territory but with alluring, fragile vocals. It has some icy blasting in the instrumental bridge whilst the climax of the track is glorious. Ciel Errant starts with some gentle strumming before switching to sunny indie rock with muscle, the dynamics giving it an almost Mogwai-esque power. Tir Nan Og features delicate piano and strings and has an epic, pastoral feel.
All the songs are lengthy and progressive, and the filthy guitar tone which features throughout adds an extra, darker dimension. Basically, this album has it all, beauty and power. Fucking stunning.
I love the cover of this too. A green tinged photo of a little girl holding what looks like a straw as though it's a recorder. It's a great image which is both innocent and enigmatic.
This record is pretty much perfect.
No comments:
Post a Comment