Nouvelle Vague

Nouvelle Vague (2004)

eatdogs

Nouvelle Vague is a French Bossanova band known for having

multiple female singers and for covering 70’s and 80’s New-Wave and Post-Punk.

Taking a unique style of Lounge music, Nouvelle Vague bring

an interesting quirkiness on their 2004 self-titled debut album and it’s done

without a wink or notion of being hip. The truth behind this idea was when musicians

Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux came together with the idea to cover Joy

Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” Bossanova style. After accomplishing their

goal, they then went on to cover even more songs they were fond of and thus

Nouvelle Vague was born.

The song selection on this album is pretty great overall.

You have notable tracks like the mentioned “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy

Division and “Guns of Brixton” by The Clash, but then you also get some deep

cuts like “Friday Night Saturday Morning” by The Specials, “A Forest” by The

Cure, and an amazing version of “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode.

Interesting fact, of the 13 songs covered here (15 on the

special edition) not one of the eight female singers had ever heard them. That

might sound crazy, but what it brings to the table is a sort of honesty to the

music and a desire by the creators of this group to pay tribute to these

original songs by artists they respected from long ago.

Only minor complaint is at points the female vocalists all

start to sound the same, but their whispery performances give the songs a fresh

air feeling and can make you relax in those late night hours, so it’s not

really that big of a deal.

Other songs covered on this album include:

“In a Manner of Speaking” by Tuxedomoon

“Making Plans for Nigel” by XTC

“Psyche” by Killing Joke

“I Melt with You” by Modern English

“Too Drunk to F**k” by Dead Kennedys

“Marian” by The Sisters of Mercy

 “Teenage Kicks” by The

Undertones

“Sorry for Laughing” by Josef K*

“Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” by A Flock of

Seagulls*

and the always awesome, "This Is Not a Love Song"

by Public Image Ltd.

Sit back with a cheap beer, put this record on, and try to

get past the fact that you are listening to familiar songs sung in a completely

different style and be amazed by how IT WORKS! Also good headphones are a plus.

Dig it…

 

(*denotes songs from the special edition of the

album)