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Late-nite music from France

M@kz | Eindhoven, The Netherlands | 09/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album sounds like a long stroll through a pastoral suburb on a warm, moonlit summernight. It features a wide range of acoustic instruments, such as cello, vibraphone, bugle and harmonium. Composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Benoit Burello has gathered a group of musicians who understand that silence in music can be very suggesting. The compositions sound like improvisations, played almost hesitantly. Burello's voice (he sings his English lyrics with a very charming French accent) brings back memories of the slightly off-key vocal exercises of Pieter Nooten, singer of the late lamented Dutch goth-wave ensemble Clan Of Xymox. His melodic lines, however, remind me of Talk Talk singer Mark Hollis. As a matter of fact, so does the music. This album could just as well have been a follow-up to Laughing Stock, the last studio recording of Talk Talk, or Hollis' self titled solo album.
So if you are into the avant-gardistic acoustic pop of the last two Talk Talk albums, you should definitely check this one out.
It's a shame that there are no stars to be given for sound quality, but here you go: *****! This beautiful album has a rich, lush and very detailed sound, and it offers a challenge to any hifi- or even high-end stereo system."