La Vita Nuova. Christine and the Queens

Christine and the Queens is not a new name. She already fills the larger venues of this country, I've been told. But everything I read so far spelled: this is not for me. As far as I'm aware I have never heard her music come by, so there was no interaction.

And then I received a link to her new mini album La Vita Nuovo and I decided to give it a chance. It turned out to be a smart thing to do. Yes, it is modern, it's sort of dance, it's electronic music, with samples and treated voices, but above all Christine and the Queens also presents an enticing mix of modern pop music.

There's simply not a lot I could find wrong with the five songs on the album. Even with electronics only it is possible to make a free flowing album. It may remain a bit cold, it is not the arctic. What is fascinating is how she moves in and out of languages. From English, to French, to Italian and Spanish. It is as if Héloïse Letissier speaks all languages she likes to express herself in. Not a natural thing for the French.

Opening song 'People, I've Been Sad', for some reason brings Crowded House to mind. So different but in feel the song is akin to 'Weather With You'. Don't ask me why, it is what it is. 'Je disparais dans tes bras' is more electronic, dance light, with a repetitive beat and an electronic wave that moves in and out of the song every few seconds. Over it Héloïse sings a surprisingly melodic vocal. It makes me wonder what was there first the melody after which the original song was deconstructed and rebuilt into what I'm hearing now or a person creating the beats and sounds after which a melody is stuck onto the beats? I'm inclined to go with the former.

This also goes for 'Mountains (We Met)'. But then what do I know of modern music? I'm a guy with a guitar who primarily loves guitar music. Still, I am listening to La Vita Nuova for the xth time. It has something that makes it easy to come back to it. Will I play it a lot in the future? Probably not, but I am not discarding the thought.

This album holds a spark within it. Although it may sound somewhat cold due to the electronics, it has a special something making it worthwhile to check it out.

Wo.


Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g