LadyDot Review: Lamuzgueule – I AM ANACHRONIC (Album)
Electro Swing that is ahead of its time! Lamuzgueule’s album review – ‘I AM ANACHRONIC’.
When I started writing this review, I thought it would be very easy. I’ve been listening to Lamuzgueule for a few years now and I think I know their music very well. Thanks to Romain, I was able to listen to ‘I AM ANACHRONIC’ pre-release – this was back in March. I managed to love the songs, and more and more review ideas popped into my head. Then I listened to the album again and again, and came to the conclusion that the hardest thing to do is to write about something you like so much.
And then… I realised that Lamuzgueule are one of the few bands who persistently pursue a goal, and each new album of theirs seems to me to be even better than the last. So I couldn’t resist the temptation and I’m delighted to tell you about “I AM ANACHRONIC” today. – in my opinion, this is one of the best Electro Swing albums of recent years.
Lamuzgueule – Creativity, Passion And A Unique Sound
Being an artist is not just about creating and releasing songs. It’s also the whole creation, the idea of yourself, constantly looking after your fans, taking care of the different stages of creating an album, coming up with new solutions, running social media, contacting the media. I know who’s behind it all, haha! Romain Deschamps is not only a fantastic and nice guy, but also an excellent art director with a head full of brilliant ideas. You could say he is a true man of many talents!
“I AM ANACHRONIC” is the first album recorded with the brilliant Agathe, who brought her excellent, delicate vocals and a whole lot of charisma to the band, which can be heard not only in the songs, but also… seen at the concerts! I also can’t forget those who usually stand at the back of the stage, and in fact they largely create this unique sound of the Lamuzgueule band. Lucien, Félix, Etienne, Salvatore – I remember you too! 😊
“I AM ANACHRONIC” is a real explosive mix. You’ll find songs that will put you in the perfect party mood, but there’s also plenty of time to catch your breath. You already know me a little, so I’ll tell you about the more dynamic songs first.
Jump, Play And Dance To The Rhythm Of Electro Swing!
When I know a band is releasing singles announcing a new album, I try not to review them to leave myself some ideas for later. In the case of ‘PLEINS PHARES’, I just couldn’t resist, so I won’t repeat myself, just leave you the link to that review, HERE.
The first single announcing ‘I AM ANACHRONIC’ was ‘ASCENDANT BRASIER’. And I have to confess to you that I listen to it non-stop! That electronic theme at the beginning of the song is a real masterpiece. Listen to those energetic drum pad hits, the warm vocals and the brilliant, outstanding, perfect sound of the saxophone and trumpet. I’ve mentioned many times before that Salvatore (saxophone) and Etienne (trumpet) are, for me, total masters, who can add a whole lot of charm to any song. And if you love it when those strong beats and effects are in the foreground, you will also love “NUITS BLANCHES” – you can listen to this track right at the end of the album.
If I had to pick just one song that I could say is my favourite, it would definitely be “BANG BANG”. Remember how I wrote to you in the latest article in the Electro Swing News series (HERE) that I couldn’t stop listening to one song in April? Well, I can tell you now that it was “BANG BANG”! 😊 In it, Romain and Agathe sing about floating on a wave and tearing up the clouds (ah, I totally don’t regret starting to learn French, because now I kind of understand what my favourite bands are singing about! 😊). Well, that’s exactly how I feel when listening to this song – like I’m flying somewhere totally high, accompanied by subtle keyboard sounds, brilliant bass and the sunny sound of saxophone and trumpet. “BANG BANG” is simply an Electro Swing banger!
Close Your Eyes, Let Yourself Be Carried Away By The Melody And… Relax!
“LE COEUR À LA FÊTE”… finally I hear a lot of keyboards and effects, and I really, really like it! That bass in the background that I totally associate with a heartbeat, those emotional vocals that alternate telling us a story… And what captivated me the most about this single is, above all, keeping it in the French touch convention that I love so much.
The next track fantastically sustains this tranquil atmosphere and keeps me swimming in this wave of musical elation. I am, of course, talking about “DIX GÉNÉRATIONS”. I really like this balance: first the vocals are in the foreground, and then again Félix and Lucien show their brilliant skills of experimenting with electronic sounds. Something wonderful! I also get a similar feeling when I listen to “BOUCAN” – despite the fact that it is definitely a more energetic track.
“CHOCOLAT” reminds me very much of the “Iceberg Club” album. I have no idea why, but it seems to me that it is such a versatile song that it could easily be on that previous album as well. Although here, its continuation, ‘RIVER ROAD TUNNEL’, is also at the same time a perfect, tension-building foreshadowing of the track ‘BANG BANG’, which I wrote about earlier.
And finally, close your eyes and let the music carry you away. “FLAMMES” is the quintessential Lamuzgueule sound – rich electronic effects with added saxophone and trumpet sounds and superb vocals that you can listen to over and over again. ‘I AM ANACHRONIC’ could not have ended in better style.
Lamuzgueule – A Band Ahead Of Its Time
I wondered for a moment about the album title ‘I AM ANACHRONIC’. “Anachronic” simply means “placed in the wrong era”. I tried to interpret this title based on listening to all these tracks on the album. And I decided that Lamuzgueule are creating in the wrong era. Because they are way ahead of this era of ours that we live in. With their creativity, their attention to every element, their charisma and their striving for perfection.
I don’t know if “I AM ANACHRONIC” will be an album for everyone. We all have completely different tastes, but this music goes directly to my heart. And I firmly believe that you will appreciate every sound, every melody and delight in this album as much as I do.
Written & reviewed by LadyDot (Ja, Wizeruk) Date: 2023-05-15
Bio – LadyDot
Anna (LadyDot) was born in ’94, but always felt she came from the Golden Twenties. “Polka” in Polish means “girl from Poland”, so she’s “Polka in polka dots”. She loves vintage style and spontaneous travels around Europe. But her greatest love (apart from her husband) is of course music, especially Electro Swing.
On her own Blog www.jawizeruk.pl she writes about various music genres. She is a copywriter, so writing is her strong point. Anna likes singing (not only in the shower!) and cooking (especially Italian and Hungarian cuisine).
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