Blondino
I totally missed this cracking release when it first appeared last month (my lame excuse is that I've been totally immersed in a bit of an indie groove, courtesy of some great releases that have emerged primarily from this side of The Pond).
But what better way to celebrate La fête nationale française than with a post celebrating some incredibly fresh and contemporary "chansons françaises"?
First-up are the Parisian-based duo of Tiphaine Lozupone and Jean-Christophe Orte, who collectively go by the name Blondino and who have just released their intoxicating, eponymous-titled debut EP.
The three tracks here suggest a duo who are totally comfortable with turning their hands at any number of differing styles and offers compelling proof - once again - that great songs traverse language divides effortlessly.
The opening track, "Mon amie" could be yet another shining example of the nouvelle vague of contemporary Quebec indie-folk - it's all here, acoustic guitar, downbeat tempo, melancholy lyrics - Tiphaine's vocals piercing the gloom and lifting the spirits. Meanwhile, the EP's middle-eight, "Oslo" is a gorgeous, trippy, veritable belter of a song with a great soaring chorus, beautifully multi-tracked vocals and great changes of pace - Guuz and the team at Filles Sourires have this nailed on as straying into La Grande Sophie territory - and who am I to argue?
The EP's closer, "Tant qu’il y aura des hommes," is probably one of the most uplifting - pure - electro-pop songs of the summer. Evoking Alison Goldfrapp during her more introverted moments (although Mrs Blog suggests the melody sounds a bit like Keane!), this is the kind of song that makes you want to drive off into the sunset, roof down and with the stereo pumping the song out a full volume (and living as I do in Southern California I can confirm this is exactly what I did); all the while Tiphaine Lozupone's rasping, haunting vocal delivery announcing her as one of the voices of 2014...
As for Blondino. are they a folk, pop-rock or synth-pop band? The correct answer is of course - all of the above, ably demonstrating that they are a band who refuse to be labelled.
First-up are the Parisian-based duo of Tiphaine Lozupone and Jean-Christophe Orte, who collectively go by the name Blondino and who have just released their intoxicating, eponymous-titled debut EP.
The three tracks here suggest a duo who are totally comfortable with turning their hands at any number of differing styles and offers compelling proof - once again - that great songs traverse language divides effortlessly.
The opening track, "Mon amie" could be yet another shining example of the nouvelle vague of contemporary Quebec indie-folk - it's all here, acoustic guitar, downbeat tempo, melancholy lyrics - Tiphaine's vocals piercing the gloom and lifting the spirits. Meanwhile, the EP's middle-eight, "Oslo" is a gorgeous, trippy, veritable belter of a song with a great soaring chorus, beautifully multi-tracked vocals and great changes of pace - Guuz and the team at Filles Sourires have this nailed on as straying into La Grande Sophie territory - and who am I to argue?
The EP's closer, "Tant qu’il y aura des hommes," is probably one of the most uplifting - pure - electro-pop songs of the summer. Evoking Alison Goldfrapp during her more introverted moments (although Mrs Blog suggests the melody sounds a bit like Keane!), this is the kind of song that makes you want to drive off into the sunset, roof down and with the stereo pumping the song out a full volume (and living as I do in Southern California I can confirm this is exactly what I did); all the while Tiphaine Lozupone's rasping, haunting vocal delivery announcing her as one of the voices of 2014...
As for Blondino. are they a folk, pop-rock or synth-pop band? The correct answer is of course - all of the above, ably demonstrating that they are a band who refuse to be labelled.
My guess is they'll be whatever they want to be...
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