FRANÇOIZ BREUT
Une Saison Volée
Tôt Ou Tard France
JOHN GREAVES & ÉLISA CARON
Chansons
Harmonia Mundi
· La nouvelle chanson Française, at its best.
It is well known that we express ourselves more daringly and honestly through the mouths of others than through our own – how eloquent and insightful we become when advising a friend how to declare his love or argue for a raise. And we also know how often we find in the words of others the most exact and thought-provoking expressions of our inner selves. And yet it is considered a sign of intellectual and moral weakness in English-speaking pop to sing the words of others, unless of course that other is some sort of cultural icon – Frida Kahlo, Leonard Cohen or the co-writer of a jazz classic.
The French, fortunately, don't have these issues and their songwriting tradition remains by far the most literate on the global pop scene and their texts the most intelligently delivered, as with these two very different albums.
Une Saison Volée is the third release from Françoiz Breut, set to become the Edith Piaf of her generation. While her first was entirely written by her then husband, Dominique A., a leader in the 1990s rebirth of French pop, for the two followups she has been able to pick and choose contributors, first among the best of France's alternative scene and, now, from across Western Europe, with songwriters from Sweden, Italy, Spain and France, yet her own warm, poised delivery imposes a consistent identity across all.
Herman Dune contributes two uncharacteristically mature English-language country rockers, "Overall" and "Please Be Angry," which, with Dominique A.'s wistful "KM 83," and a cover of the early ’60s pop hit "Premier Bonheur du Jour," form the heart of the album. Throughout the sound is a slightly unexpected mix of Euro-retro and Americana (Calexico's Joey Burns is a longtime associate and plays bass here), subverted with subtly experimental arrangements from the Belgian Sasha Toorop. As always, full appreciation requires an understanding of French (and Spanish and Italian), but there's enough happening on the purely musical side of things to make Une Saison Volée a satisfying listen for the unilingual.
The same can probably be said of Chansons, an updating of the classic jazz vocal recording, the too-infrequently heard Élise Caron singing the words of Christophe Glockner. David Ventucci's accordion sets the stage, but the musical substance that is provided by former Henry Cow bassist Greaves is assisted by saxophonist Louis Sclavis and cellist Vincent Courtois (whose ECM recordings should be familiar to all avant-jazz aficionados).
Given the participants’ pedigrees, this is a very restrained recording, but one of unapologetic intelligence. Think of it as the kind of album that wild optimism might lead us to hope that Elvis Costello and Diana Krall will record together when they grow up.
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