Femme Accident
More bitchin' about my Bandcamp Wishlist. It has seriously - and I mean seriously - spiralled way out of control. I've obviously been hitting that little Wishlist heart as if I was performing CPR every time I stumble across a more than half-decent tune (have I mentioned that I have a serious Bandcamp trolling habit)? There are more tunes there than in my collection (hello, kind record labels….) We're halfway through 2015, this next album has been in my Wishlist since it was released last year, often unforgivingly and unfathomably neglected… But you know, I keep coming back to it, giving it a spin, 'umming' and 'ahhing'… And because I have a little indie demon that likes to get out and about from time to time and - more importantly - because any band that has been compared by the Montréal music press and bloggers (or blogueurs) with just about everyone from My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Sonic Youth, The Cure and The Smiths to the Cocteau Twins (not to mention a whole host of lesser-known lights from my new-wavy, shoegazy and indie past and present - The Pastels, anyone?) seriously deserve a few - albeit late - column inches…
Montréal's Femme Accident are Jonathan Guilbeault (drums and synths), Benjamin Deshaies (guitar) and Sophie Montpetit (bass, synths and voice that is just perfect for the trio's dreamy yet dark nu-gaze sound). "Hum" is the band's third album, following 2011's "Charms" and 2013's "Shiver" (albums that are now added to my Wishlist - so much for cutting it down to size!)
"Hum" is an album full of pedalled-FX guitars - jangling, reverbed, distorted - tight percussion, swirling synths and an at times subterranean bass. Add Sophie's ethereal vocals - floating above layer upon layer of the most gorgeous guitar-fuelled indie-alt rock sound - heavenly, yet capable of conveying incredibly dark and foreboding lyrics.
The album kicks-off with surf guitar a-go-go and "Watch me burn" before the band open-up and Sophie's entrancing vocals wash all over me, yet there's hardly time to pause and catch breath before shimmering cymbals give way to Bernard Butler-esque guitars and the most amazing dream-pop in the shape of "Bright Lights", a song that is absolutely nailed by swirling synths as it fades (to black…) I've often been lead to remark that there's always a song on an album that is worth the admission price alone. This - Ladies and Gentlemen - is that song.
Montréal's Femme Accident are Jonathan Guilbeault (drums and synths), Benjamin Deshaies (guitar) and Sophie Montpetit (bass, synths and voice that is just perfect for the trio's dreamy yet dark nu-gaze sound). "Hum" is the band's third album, following 2011's "Charms" and 2013's "Shiver" (albums that are now added to my Wishlist - so much for cutting it down to size!)
"Hum" is an album full of pedalled-FX guitars - jangling, reverbed, distorted - tight percussion, swirling synths and an at times subterranean bass. Add Sophie's ethereal vocals - floating above layer upon layer of the most gorgeous guitar-fuelled indie-alt rock sound - heavenly, yet capable of conveying incredibly dark and foreboding lyrics.
The album kicks-off with surf guitar a-go-go and "Watch me burn" before the band open-up and Sophie's entrancing vocals wash all over me, yet there's hardly time to pause and catch breath before shimmering cymbals give way to Bernard Butler-esque guitars and the most amazing dream-pop in the shape of "Bright Lights", a song that is absolutely nailed by swirling synths as it fades (to black…) I've often been lead to remark that there's always a song on an album that is worth the admission price alone. This - Ladies and Gentlemen - is that song.
But then there's also "Read my lips" and if I was ever in danger of overdosing on lush reverbed guitars, I suspect that would be the song that tips me over the edge. I love the touch of echo on the vocals, the touch of fragility in the voice… Meanwhile "Into my mind", a song that features moments of intense energy exemplified by distorted and jarring guitars, - I'm not sure I can hear "…bells are ringing in my head…" - yet at the same time the song is incredibly melodic, strangely peaceful and very cleverly constructed.
That being said, "Hole in your head" has gathered rather a lot of attention amongst my fellow blogueurs. You can hear why. Guitars and synths are married to angry and threatening lyrics, "…Don’t make me suffer, I’ll put an end to this now, I’ll put a gun to your head… I’ll make a hole in your bed…" The song ends on a discordant sax solo. There's a whiff of the early punk sound of Blondie (circa "Blondie" and "Plastic Letters") meets rhythm and blues…
There are so many things to enjoy on this album; the chord changes and feedback of "Them"; the 'so catchy it should carry a health warning' and ridiculously poppy "Under your spell" and especially the Joy Division meets New Order on "Stay with me" (think "Ceremony" with a killer bass). The album's closer is also rather special. "Everything goes wrong" is a throwback to 60s psychedelia - distorted guitars, vocals and strident sax.
And while this album may well be another disciple of Agnès Gayraud's "Moderne, c'est déjà vieux " movement, frankly I'm not sure why I didn't snap up this album earlier - as CBC Music quite rightly point out, …these guys can shoegaze the shit out of a 60s rock standard…" - upon repeated listening it's fairly obvious that "Hum" is an absolutely storming album and in retrospect as good an indie-alt rock album as was released last year (I'd put it up there with Dum Dum Girls' "Too True" and Alvvay's eponymous debut - yep, THAT good…)
Femme Accident
"Hum" (Bandcamp)
That being said, "Hole in your head" has gathered rather a lot of attention amongst my fellow blogueurs. You can hear why. Guitars and synths are married to angry and threatening lyrics, "…Don’t make me suffer, I’ll put an end to this now, I’ll put a gun to your head… I’ll make a hole in your bed…" The song ends on a discordant sax solo. There's a whiff of the early punk sound of Blondie (circa "Blondie" and "Plastic Letters") meets rhythm and blues…
There are so many things to enjoy on this album; the chord changes and feedback of "Them"; the 'so catchy it should carry a health warning' and ridiculously poppy "Under your spell" and especially the Joy Division meets New Order on "Stay with me" (think "Ceremony" with a killer bass). The album's closer is also rather special. "Everything goes wrong" is a throwback to 60s psychedelia - distorted guitars, vocals and strident sax.
And while this album may well be another disciple of Agnès Gayraud's "Moderne, c'est déjà vieux " movement, frankly I'm not sure why I didn't snap up this album earlier - as CBC Music quite rightly point out, …these guys can shoegaze the shit out of a 60s rock standard…" - upon repeated listening it's fairly obvious that "Hum" is an absolutely storming album and in retrospect as good an indie-alt rock album as was released last year (I'd put it up there with Dum Dum Girls' "Too True" and Alvvay's eponymous debut - yep, THAT good…)
Femme Accident
"Hum" (Bandcamp)
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