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Feu Therese
Ca Va Cogner
Constellation - 2007
Michael Panontin
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Initial spins of Ca Va Cogner, the follow-up to Feu Therese's thoroughly enjoyable debut, may well leave hipsters somewhat flummoxed. The fragmented motorik beats of 2006's Feu Therese have yielded here to a milder, more Gallic affair of silky synths and sultry vocals. Shunning the trad ingredients of synth rock - the icy robotics, the leaden rhythms and (of late anyway) the brainy techno glitsch - Feu Therese have opted instead for a Euro-synth sound rife with the unmistakable odour of cheese.
After the kitsch wears off, though, Ca Va Cogner (translated as "It's Gonna Hit') strikes hard, its rhythms deceptively complex, with arpeggiated vintage synths that skate effortlessly alongside ex-Fly Pan Am guitarist Jonathan Parant's subtle workings. Stephen Olivera's vocals, more spoken than sung in the tradition of the French chansonniers, are velvety and unruffled, adding a touch of douceur to the mix. The clear standout here is 'Visage sous nylon', which plumbs the depths with its hypnotic Giorgio Moroder synth lines and edgy post-punk guitars. The lazy synths on 'Les deserts des Azur' hint at mid-seventies Cluster, while other tracks pile it on thick, like the beefier 'Le bruit de pollen de nuit', a bizarre hybrid of Serge Gainsbourg and Gary Glitter.
A tasty assortment of fine fromage - pairs well with a full-bodied Cabernet.
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Constellation
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