Christine and the Queens, Chris - album review
Europop is a strange beast - always has been, always will.
People talk about genre-bending and musical cauldrons concocting weird and wonderful potions aplenty. But nobody does this better than the Europeans. Sometimes they plant their flag firmly in a 'retro' planet and claim it as theirs now, while others just surf the wave of whatever enters their fancy and create some truly original sounds.
Christine and the Queens manages to plant a foot in each of the above camps, and commands attention and respect for her exploration and guts - even if it can feel ponderous at times.
At once this second record feels like a soundtrack to a musical about the King of Pop's life. Those deep electro beats and thumping percussion carry Christine's vocals to soaring heights while the feet dance along underneath.
At others it is almost like you are sat in an underwater tank listening to a concert in the water outside. Just listen to 5 Dollars or What's-her-face to hear what we mean. The vast expanse created by that echoed sound makes it feel like you have plenty of room around you while also giving a feeling of shrinking walls and claustrophobia.
France's Christine - real name Héloïse Letissier - is a blank canvas of creativity. It is so hard to put a finger on influences and aims and this makes the mystery perhaps the most alluring part of her music.
A mixture of French and English language - you can in fact buy the whole record in either if you wish - the dark pop aura floats like a warning sound.
Goya Soda sees a return of those deep electro groans that wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s action romp. And the unashamedly pop single Girlfriend, featuring Dâm-Funk, takes the lighter end of the spectrum and uses keys to create an upbeat and fluffier atmosphere that frames the faster-paced lyrics.
Yet the ponderous pace could eventually lose some people - What's-her-face and Damn (what must a woman do) are prime examples. Perhaps each track in small doses will grip people more than the entire, slightly-overlong record.
Rating: 6/10
Christine and the Queens will play Birmingham's O2 Academy on November 26
