VAISSEAU MONDE

4.5 stars. This is the debut of LE GRAND SBAM out of France. They are a six piece and include the band POIL who are a trio and the composers here. They are a drum/keys/bass setup with a female vibes/perussionist and she adds so much. She's all over it and it all works so well. Finally we get the two female singers who are the stars of the show you could say. The arranger of the vocal parts deserves an award for how varied, interesting and innovative the arrangements are. The girls then "on point" and absolutely nail it. I would have loved to have heard the rehearsals for this recording. This is truly a vocal display unlike anything I have heard. The vocals match the music here in every way. Complex and challenging music with excellent contrasts and they take us places unexpectant, as do the vocals in the same ways.

Surprisingly spacey this record but there's also that Japanese Zeuhl style that POIL do so well featured here at times. This trio is obsessed with Japanese music including their two albums this year with Ueda. And certainly the way the album opens with that explosion of hard and fast outbursts brings the Japanese to mind. Thankfully this album isn't all like this as impressive as all that is they don't over do it. This was released in 2019 and clocks in at 37 1/2 minutes far shorter than their followup album "Furvent" at 60 minutes. I do prefer this debut to the second one for what it's worth.

Man this is a lot to describe and honestly it has to be heard to be believed at times. Again the vocals match the intensity and scope of the music which is saying something. Such an entertaining record and we get five tracks of which four are around the same length of 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 minutes then we get that 12 minute second song. I am blown away by this record! It goes right into my "best of" Avant pile. POIL just seem to come up with these ideas no one else thinks of and then proceeds to compose this incredible music of which the vocals are often key and certainly not an afterthought to their prodigy-like playing. Not perfect but I'm bumping this up to 5 stars for their incredible ideas.