ALBUM A COLORIER

For fans of Débile Menthol or Etron Fou Leloublan, but with more light approach (and maybe some too odd things)

(1.) Monsieur Lipousse is a short track, with some nice rhythmic things, but I think I hate the sound or at least the style of the vocals, whereas those previously mentioned French (language) bands' vocals are mostly nice.

Le Fugitif (2.) children's agent rock, quite bombastic, repetitive heavy jazz patterns.

Le nιcessaire ΰ chaussures (3.) - Of course Albert Marcoeur uses many vocal styles, so there's more raw, punk vocals here, and the music is blend of it, quite proto-punk (With touch of Captain Beefheart for example more glammy Roxy Music, like the song Virginia Plain), energetic, but there are lighter parts mixed. The song isn't very coherent all in all, though it's pretty simple. Albert Marcouer reminds me here and commonly of Central European experimental music, like Buldozer, Dvouletá Fáma, Psí vojáci, with their different view for pop/rock.

(4.) Le pιre grimoine is very nice song when the warm orchestration comes in, bluesy and symphonic but very colourful (see Arachnoïd - Le Chamadère, there's eg same kind of mood changes), but the vocals are so pitiful (well, I mean that the singer is whining like a sick person - it's nice nice concept but not working here so well) in some parts, that the art of it makes it difficult to understand. And again, the track could be longer (with more symphonicism).

Doctorine (5.) is pretty much like Alamaailman Vasarat, light desert jazz. This is maybe the only harmonic piece here, not so experimental, but still, I think Alamaailman Vasarat is even boring.

Le jus d'abricot (6.) is just an alive pop song, with more full orchestration of course, but the melodies just aren't working for me. The ending half emphasizes jazz (quite regular) from the first part, but there's not much special musically.

La cucillette des noix (7.) - Almost spoken word, and there's occasions when orchestra plays (there's also very nice vocals in one part). Could sound messed up, stupid experimental art, but here it works. It's like warm chamber orchestra with Italian folk influences (see for example Mamma Non Piangere). But also lighter Italian folk is here and there through the album.

Elle Ιtait belle (8.) - Stupid lightness with syrup vocals, and I also vomit. And once again, there's some nice parts, warm Gentle-Giant-like structures (but too few, too few!)

Fermez le porte (9.) is a short interlude with noise/speaking and lovely (warm, of course) classical ending!

Lΰ d'dans (10.) has some things that I've expected/hoped here. The briskness goes into weirder poppy things, with weird structures (well, it sound a bit like musical theatre / cabaret music, but it's more like rocky jazz). No complaints, and this is more like Gentle Giant (in some ways).

Ouvre-toi (11.) is light and windy ending, no complaints here either, but there's not much value, either.

Sickening art is art, too, and I almost think that purpose is in Albert's subconscious, at least. There's so many nice things that could be extended and not sillyfied. But I thin the irritating things aren't so irritating for some people, and all in all I recommend this album for anyone who likes a bit more avant-garde music.

Marcoeur's second album would have you believe it's got a lot to do with his debut, because the artwork is related to its predecessor. But life is not so easy! Yes indeed we're still in Marcoeur's improbable and whacky world of Looserland, but the personnel is completely different, even down to the technician, while retaining the same recording facility. The tracks are also much shorter on the average), pushing the interplay to smaller songs that emphasize the goofy atmosphere rather than privilege instrumental interplay, even if it doesn't alter Marcoeur's ability to write weird but complex stuff, although Zappa 's comparison might be a bit over-done. The traffic-jammed Monsieur Lépousse opens the album, a fine overall performance by everyone but topped directly by the out-of-breath Fugitif vocals is dictating the insane pace of the music, even if the Chaussure track is a little insignificant. Probably the album's highlight, the Wyatt-influenced Père Grimoine is a strange track that seems to be a natural bonus track for Rock Bottom. Indeed, opening on a piano the track is a slow suicidal soft- layered track. As one highlight is followed-up by the excellent instrumental Doctorine, where the soundscape veers a bit nightmarish, with a rare electric guitar dropping a few decisive growls, the tracks succeed each other effortlessly and the album zips by quickly.

Other tracks are without much interest, not only musically but lyric-wise, like the percussive Jus D'Abricot (goofy & brassy) or Cueillette Des Noix (overstaying its welcome once it gets in the recitative mode) or the only non-Marcoeur track, Fermez La Porte, a short almost- concrète intro to Là D'dans. Later in the album, Marcoeur veers 10 CC with the less- complex Elle Etait Belle, which happens to be another apex in the album with again that same guitar counter-pointing decisively the rhythm, before the album ends in a non-end almost a capella Ouvres-Toi

Definitely not as successful as its predecessor, AAC is still worth a spin for the curious, but is not quite essential and will probably please only hardcore Marcoeur fans. Clearly Marcoeur could e quite successful as a "normal" songwriter for he has many good ideas, but cares not to exploit them by expanding them into commercial music. He prefers hiding his ideas and bury them deeply enough so he becomes a musician's musician.