Vanessa&TheO's fantastic album now with 4 bonus trax!
Rimbeaud | 09/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fantastic debut album of songbased cool european ultra pop, a real find and one of those unexpected gems you hope to come across in a record store in Paris on a wander [which I did, lucky me]. The french version of the album was on a listening post and i was sucked right in from the first song 'Bagatelle' by the sound of Vanessa's yearning and sensual voice [was Nico ever truly this sensual?] through to the gorgeous Velvets-ish Plus Rien, the alarmingly moving and beautifully dark 'Stand' [wow where did that emanate from - if only the new Scott Walker album had a song as good as this on it I might have been able to get through it!] to the pure french 60's movie soundtrack pop of the wonderful 'Charlie Charlie' which despite displaying 60's retro pop influences Vanessa manages to pull off as something fresh and modern, she does that effortlessly throughout this marvellous LP in fact. Some will say Nico, Velvets, Gainsbourg, Hardy maybe even Stereolab or The Concretes or Ivy [not a problem for me that's all good stuff!] but the truth is that if those influences are there [and they are at times]Vanessa has cherished them, digested them and now here with her child-woman observing lyrics, almost nieve delivery, playfulness but also a sense of faraway sadness and yearning she molds those influences and the sound of The O's into something irresistable, fresh and unique, something you can go back to again and again..unique, yes that's right because there is no box this can be easily filed into and maybe that's why it's an obscure 'find' in a record store in paris, new york or london, quite simply there is nothing else like this out there and there isn't likely to be anytinme soon...I only hope they can keep this standard up for the next album, if they do then we truly have a new and important 'artist' to follow in the true sense of the word, others will copy but talent this rare will always out...surely?
This new Japanese release has the added bonus of 4 tracks that did not appear on the French release of earlier this year. Absolutely worth investing in to get I Must be Dreaming [Lou Reed-ish rocking pop], the extremely haunting Rider of Steel and the chirpy anglo saxon guitar pop of Something Is Calling. Great stuff!
Hey I didn't even mention that former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha is in the band!"
Really enjoyed the music
hiromimarie | California | 01/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't know any French but this CD is mixed with English and French and it's a great mix. I really enjoyed 11 of the 14 songs."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1