EMI
Troissoeur (B,2004)**°°
Funny that 3 brothers with friend call their group something like “3 sister”...
I saw the group listed in a folk list but this release mostly is a post-poprock item with very good modern production and perfect mixing (like we can expect on EMI, here directed by Daniel B, former Front 242 sound designer), which includes (chamber music) orchestrations, and other much more modern arrangements (like electronic beats, piano, guitars,..).
After two more (good) poppy tracks, (from which I really like “Little Dole”, surely after a couple listens), there are also three tracks between 7 and 10 minutes, and also one of 17 minutes, which is still unusually long for a partly ? pop-song orientated band. It is in such tracks where the group flourishes. The arrangements in these long tracks are less bound to the melodically repetitive character of pop music’s song orientation. Just listen first to the great instrumental part on “Kjilmé”, and how great “Sano M’ame” builds up during the track. The band are in fact good enough instrumentally to remain as a purely instrumental band. Compared to the strong instrumentation, the vocal parts are, for me, sometimes more ordinary, or still could use reconsideration in their final execution. The group sometimes use their own invented language for some songs, which is a good idea. There’s a more vulnerable singing on “Higher emotions”, with rather Gothic piano. Having listened to this track on two occasions it makes sense, with loops of ambient guitar and violin. On “Trays” there are some electronica, experimental whale-like violin sounds, some studio rhythm mixes mixed into an improvisational way of singing, with a slight overexposure in its emotional approach, still reminding me of better experimental rock voices, accompanied with guitar, modern use of rhythms, double bass, backing vocals, keyboards. On “No e Amo” they show their first origins of inspiration from Italian ? ethno-folk, using accordion, violin, double bass, with some electronic rhythm touches, -in a convincing way. The 17 minute 03” track, “Paving” starts as ambient pop, builds up slowly with an additional mixture of minimal chamber arrangements, with sometimes an hypnotic effect growing towards a moody and a more improvisational part, which leads to a full band improvisational driven closer, played by electric violin and double bass with electric guitar mostly. “Levina” combines the energy of improvisation, with a rock and ethno-folk drive, with great mixing, a fine chamber music layer, nice use of guitars, and electronic rhythm production effects. A nice closer for the album.
This an appealing release from a fine Belgium band which I’m sure will have a growing appeal on a bigger international scene.
