Search - Francoiz Breut :: Vingt a Trente Mille Jours

Breut and Gloomy

waldglyde | Sydney, New South Wales Australia | 06/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While it is probably true that gloom and ennui, like love, sound better in French (Think Billy Holiday's 'Songs for Distingue Lovers'), Francoiz Breut would move even in translation. Although less startling than her debut, Ms Breut and partner/collaborateur Dominique Ane still get the cool poise and weltschmerz (damn, that's German) just right on this beautiful, though wintry album. The usual comparisons are with Nico, Mazzy Star and Catpower - and think of these singing a Francoise Sagan novel to music by the live and symphonic Portishead and we are close to a description, but not a definition. The title track is particularly striking in the infinite weariness - and wary lack of sentiment - evoked by Ms Breut's phrasing, as does the opening, the beautiful 'Derriere le grand filtre', dominated by acoustic guitars and, later, strings, all reminiscent of the first Cohen album, though its worldview is more like that of his 'Songs and Love and Hate'. This song ironically ends with sampled folk music - a contrapuntal sign of an optimism the persona lacks. 'L'Affaire d'un Jour' is Cowboy Junkies - but on better junk - Brigitte Fontaine as Country and Western singer. Beautiful in a low pained bored way - as dark and sexy as suicide in the Seine, the album is really only let down a little on the one English track - a cover of Peggy Lee's 'Sans Souci' - in which the poise becomes pose. Breathy and brooding, this artist forces the question : why aren't more people speaking about her ? Like Lo Galuccio, An Pierle and Catpower, Francoiz Breut seems to be a little below the radar of Pop culture. Perhaps this is because of innate Anglo-American chauvinism in this case. Perhaps it is because people are stupid."

Beautiful, moody French indie rock

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 09/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This shares much of the same brooding grace as her first album from 1996 that endeared France's most downcast mademoiselle to listeners across the world. Produced once again by Dominique A, Francois Breut has also enlisted many of France's most illustrious indiepoppers, including folks such as Phillipe Katarine and members of Autour de Lucie. The result is a lighter-sounding album which sheds the murky, mystical gravity of her earlier Tom Waits-y leanings in favor of a muted, slightly xylophonic orchestral pop, ala Tindersticks. Although not as immediately spooky as her first album, this is still powerful and poetic, and will hopefully will draw even more listeners into her orbit. Also highly recommended."