Tuesday 3 December 2013

Muisc - Part 150 - Tristesse Contemporaine



Tristesse Contemporaine – Stay Golden (Records Makers)
LP/CD/DL
Out Now




Minimal electro, indie trio Tristesse Contemporaine release their second long player.


What’s in a name eh? Well, it may not be the snappiest choice for a group, but it’s certainly one you’ll remember if you come acorss it again.


The Paris based trio have all the credentials for a great sound – Japanese ex-punk, British hip-hopper and Swedish hockey player (surely every group should have one?), and the pre-release blurb does a good job of selling them. Are they any good? The simple answer is, Yes, they are actually.


Their sound is sparse and simple. Hard, precise, clinical drumbeats with bass lines that are repetitive and enjoyable. There’s a certain laziness about their music too which has great charm. The backings are sparse and Maik’s vocals are, for the most part softly spoken.


Singles, Fire and Waiting are appealing and addictive. There are faux samples of Jacko on the very wonderful Going Out Tonight which continues a sound that Tristesse can (and have) made their own.






Unfortunately, the album takes a bit of a backward step when Maik tries too hard to create a bad boy accent on I Do Want I Want. He clearly doesn’t talk like this and to be honest, it grates. The line “I do what I want, I never get caught’ is childish and doesn’t work. It’s a shame as the hard sound is superb and the backing vocals from Narumi are interesting and welcome. Similarly, it’s apparently fun to be an arsonist on Can’t Resist. Maybe I’m just becoming a prude in my forty somethings.


They can certainly write a good tune, and I’ve played this album at least half a dozen times now without getting bored with it as a whole. I could have been listening to other stuff, but there’s something about the album that you just can’t pintpoint which means you just can’t let it go.

8/10

Links
Record Makers 
Tristesse Contemporaine website
Tristesse Contemporaine on Twitter




Published on Louder Than War 28/11/13 - here


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