Suuns * Images Du Futur (cd 2013)
Well well, so now also Deezer starts to recommend music to me? I got a recommention for Suuns because I listen to Duchess Says. Now Suuns have little incommon with Duchess Says save the fact that the two bands are playing two shows together. And of course they both play guitar pop with electronic elements, but the results are very different. I also knew Suuns because I ran into them when looking for shoegaze that is interesting. Not that this band makes very typical shoegaze, but there certainly are elements to be found (not so in Duchess Says). The album that Deezer thought I should listen to was the previous album “Zeroes QC” from 2010. That album is indeed somewhat interesting, but mostly because it contains pretty experimental pop music, very soft pop, dreampop perhaps even. There are some nice songs, I especially like the songs with more electronics than guitars. The album is a bit slow, melancholic maybe even. “Images Du Futur” starts off with more tempo and nice, screaming guitars. Most of the songs are a lot slower though with some electronics, sometimes a little bit of rock, sometimes a noisy guitar; mostly soft pop though. Like on the other cd there are a few nice songs, but most of them I am quite indifferent to. I would not turn it off when I heard it on the radio, but I do not think I will play Suuns very often.
Link: Secretly Canadian
Rome continues in the direction which has been apparent since the earlier albums. “Nos Chants Perdus” is almost purely a “singer/songwriter” album, again more minimalistic in sound. Unfortunately for the first time, there are songs that do not really appeal to me, but there are also again very nice songs. Towards the end of this 43 minute album come a few unexpected sounds, such as the slightly ‘cabaretesk’ “La Rose et la Hache”. Reuter remains a gifted song-writer, but I am afraid he is drifting in a direction away from my musical taste. This album is already a bit too much popmusic. If this continues, I might not like a possible next album any longer. But of course musicians should not take much heed to that!
On their 2005 debut album (“Non Stop Je Te Plie En Deux”) and the great second album (2007 “Total Magique”) We Are Wolves wonderfully balanced between punkrock and electropunk with here and there a bit of electropop and some other experiments. Catchy, uptempo songs with a lot of guitars. The only thing is that I am not greatly fond of are the vocals (relatively high-pitched male), but they are not really irritating. This new album goes more in a normal poprock direction and the songs are not what they are on the previous albums; they are not as crazy anymore and less catchy. There are still some nice songs, but I highly prefer the second album.
Don’t worry! I am not planning on changing the focus of this music reviews section, but I do think that any style of music can be featured here if it is worth mentioning.
Because I don’t listen to popmusic, for a long time I only knew Amy Winehouse from hearing that she is a troubled teenager that drinks too much and uses too much drugs. A while ago I heard “Rehab” played in the gym where they only play hiphop and cheap dance music and I wondered what would make such a weird and wonderfull song being popular enough to be played in the gym, when I noticed that it was sung by Amy Winehouse. Later I heard to other songs of Winehouse which I also liked, so I decided to have a better listen to the young woman. I think I downloaded her first and not too good album and left Winehouse for what it was. Now there is another nice song on the radio, so I figured she must have a good and new album, only to find out that she has made only two cds yet. “Rehab” is on the 2006 album “Back To Black” which has now been rereleased with an extra cd with some other tracks. For the better too, since the album itself is below 35 minutes! Anyway, I don’t suppose I would have to review this album for listeners of popmusic, because if you know the hits like “Rehab” or “You Know I’m No Good”, you know the style of Winehouse well enough to know if you like it. But my normal audience may -like me- have ignored Winehouse for being a popstar, so just a few things. The music goes from soul to jazz and blues with a little triphop (or whatever), ballads and crazy cheerfull songs. Most songs are rather melancholic or relatively dark in concept for popmusic at least. I still don’t know what makes Winehouse so popular under the larger audience that only wants simple music, but I can only say that I love her weird style and concept and this album is surely something else that I can put in the player when I don’t feel like playing my usual kind of music.
I know this band from their brilliant contribution to the free