It just so happened that the release of this album roughly coincided with the period in life when I decided to relearn French. Naturally, this involved listening to Serge Gainsbourg and numerous French girl singers of the 60s (isn't "Je ne sais pas ce que je veux" by Françoise Hardy one of the most beautiful things ever written?). Which is why this new album from the French art rock group Feu! Chatterton was more than welcome.
Do note, however, that Palais d'argile being the album of the month has nothing to do with the French language. It got no special preferences. It genuinely is the best thing I have heard this month - even if the new Arab Strap album is a very close runner-up (lyrically unimpeachable, and "Here Comes Comus" is a classic).
In basic terms, Palais d'argile is a journey. At fourteen songs and seventy-odd minutes, this may feel bloated but I would not have known what to do in the cutting room. The material is very even, and if a song starts out as something not especially eventful (like "Écran Total"), it ends up having such an intriguing development and such intensity that I throw my hands up in total surrender. That groove is insane. "Libre" goes on for almost ten minutes but, again, I would not know how to edit that length. There is that intricate guitar line, that wonderful interplay between slow synth-based moments and the more uptempo, drums-driven rhythm. And then there is this terrific guitar-heavy coda that sounds like something by a superior psych band from the 60s. The section comes out of nowhere and takes the whole thing to a completely different place.
And it is all interlaced with quieter, more vocal-based numbers like "Ces bijoux de fer" or my personal favourite "Avant qu’il n’y ait le monde" that features a fairly simple piano melody and the album's greatest vocal hook (the way the singer intones the song's title can only be described as magical). There is the old-fashioned "Panthère" that sounds like a lost Jacques Brel ballad. There is also the dreamy, bass-heavy "La mer". And I have not even mentioned my favourite songs yet, the closing epic "Laissons filer", the intriguing (those lyrics!), protean "Cristaux liquides" and the standout single "Un Monde Nouveau" which might end up being my song of the year. That chorus is exceptional.
What a brilliant, adventurous rock album this is. Quite frankly, I do not get the frequently-voiced In Rainbows comparisons as Palais d'argile is a lot more diverse in terms of vocals, instrumentation and songwriting. Also, Palais d'argile is... how shall we go about it... a better record. An intense, engaging listen that should satisfy all the pop, rock and even dance sensibilities. It will even satisfy your French sensibilities, and those are scientifically proven to be the hardest sensibilities to satisfy. Which makes the experience of Palais d'argile all the more precious.
RECOMMENDED THIS MONTH:
Feu! Chatterton - Palais d'argile
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
Cathal Coughlan - Song of Co-Aklan
Departure Lounge - Transmeridian
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra - Promises
Bell Orchestre - House Music
