CATHERINE JAUNIAUX

'Fluvial' is an album which is at once all over the place but at the same time pleasant listening. It's made up of vocal experiments with the help of eight musicians. You'd never think it though. All you can hear is Jauniaux's crazy vocals. Tuneless vocals at that. This is all highly experimental stuff that will not appeal to many. 'Doreso Trei Babys' sounds like a World War II night-time party in Vichy France circa 1943. 'Copul's Humus' like a red indian squaw get together round a fire by a wigwam.

Plinky plonky percussion plays a big part. It's well recorded and decently put together, but I just can't see this appealing to many people, despite the multitude of instruments used.

Each time I hear this I'm drawn to the stand out track 'Origine Des Femmes'. This just defies description. Bouncy vocals and springy bass are interspersed with strange violins and high pitched 'Bowie- Laughing Gnome' backing tracks. I wish I knew what she was saying. She sounds so pretty. It makes no sense but sounds so friendly and warm.

There's a lot going on here if you can get by the queer vocals. For instance, there's bursts of African percussion involved like finger pianos and bongos. Come to think of it - there's a whole lot of shakers, tablas, tambourines and all sorts of paraphernalia including reversed vocals that I was never aware of before. All of a sudden things go electronic with 'A Devine Image' with blaring trumpets and clashing cymbals mixed in with some strange sequencer. Truly bizarre and one of a kind. I'm always left scratching my head in confusion.

A fun little album that may be the worst best ever album I've heard.

Catherine Jauniaux clearly has a good set of vocal chords on her but intentionally sounds off key throughout. In fact she sounds mostly like a house cat trying to escape from the inside of a washing machine.

Only Ikue Mori's ultra strange and crystal clear percussion and drastically fragmented electronic drums keep things on any semblance of direction. Next to this percussion all we have are the crazy 'Muppet' like vocals of Catherine Jauniaux who clearly lost the plot some time ago.

It almost sounds like someone stuck a bicycle inflator in her mouth and inflated her head to four times it's normal size before she started singing.

A percussion and vocal heavy excursion into territory untrodden. An enjoyable album for those who have truly gone fishing...

Good in small doses but almost impossible to listen to from beginning to end. One extra point awarded for originality... but really, it's heavy going...